U.S. Chamber backs Bahrain free trade agreement

U.S. Chamber backs Bahrain free trade agreement    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Monday expressing support for the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Implementation Agreement.
   The letter was in support of H.R. 4340, the House bill proposed to establish the agreement.
   'The U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Implementation Agreement provides duty-free treatment for consumer and industrial goods, allows 98 percent of U.S. agricultural exports to flow duty-free into Bahrain, and provides the strongest access for U.S. services in any free trade agreement,' the letter said. 'Passage of this agreement will not only increase trade and investment flows between the U.S. and Bahrain, it will also promote democracy and encourage greater economic and political reform in Bahrain.'
   The chamber said the bill also represents a successful bipartisan effort in Congress to support trade liberalization between the countries.