U.S., Bahrain complete free trade agreement

U.S., Bahrain complete free trade agreement    The Bush administration has concluded a free trade agreement with the government of Bahrain.
   “It is a ground-breaking free trade agreement that will benefit both our peoples,” said U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick in a statement on May 27.
   He added that this free trade agreement will “build on our existing FTA with a rapidly modernizing Jordan, and on the FTA with a reforming Morocco that we will sign in two weeks.” In May 2003, President Bush announced his initiative to establish a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013.
   According to the USTR, two-way goods trade between the United States and Bahrain was $887 million in 2003. U.S. goods exports to Bahrain in 2003 totaled $509 million, including planes, machinery, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, toys and sports equipment. U.S. exports of agricultural products to Bahrain in 2003 totaled $14 million, including poultry, snack foods, cotton and processed fruits and vegetables.