WASHINGTON, 12 January 2006 — President George W. Bush yesterday signed the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, billed as a step toward improved trade relations with the Middle East.
While trade between the two countries is only a modest $800 million, the White House hailed the agreement as a key step.
“The agreement also marks a milestone in strengthening ties and promoting freedom in the Middle East,” US Trade Representative Rob Portman said. The agreement will help US businesses expand in a growing market, he said. “The accord is an important step in advancing President Bush’s proposal to establish a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013,” he said. The Bahrain accord is the first one between the United States and a Gulf state and the third with an Arab state, following agreements with Jordan and Morocco.
