The United States Trade Representative has announced that the US and Bahrain have signed a memorandum of understanding on trade in food and agriculture products. Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish and Bahrain Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed Al-Zayani signed the MOU and discussed further strengthening US-Bahrain trade relations.

The MOU supports certainty and enhanced cooperation on requirements for US exports of food and agriculture products to Bahrain, and enables more opportunities for the United States and Bahrain to continue joint efforts to facilitate bilateral trade in food and agriculture products.  The MOU also provides that Bahrain will continue to accept existing US export certifications for food and agricultural products. It also provides for consultations to address potential new requirements and to increase certainty in the supply of food and agricultural products from the United Stated to Bahrain.

“The USTR appreciates Bahrain’s strategic partnership with the United States in the Gulf region,” said Deputy USTR Jeffry Gerrish, “and looks forward to continuing joint efforts to facilitate trade between our countries.”

US agricultural and fishery exports to Bahrain in 2017 totaled $76 million. In total goods, the United States exported $907 million and imported $996 million in 2017.  In total services, the United States exported $271 million and imported $1.3 billion in 2016. The United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement entered into force on January 11, 2006.