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USTR's Trade Advisory Committee Reports, Etc. on Proposed U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Now Available

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has posted to its Web site the reports of 27 Trade Advisory Committees on the proposed U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

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(In May 2004, the USTR announced that the U.S. and Bahrain had completed a comprehensive FTA. President Bush has notified Congress he intends to sign this FTA. See ITT's Online Archives or 06/01/04 and 06/18/04 news, 04060110 and 04061805, for BP summaries of these events.)

The USTR states in a press release that there was widespread support among the Trade Advisory Committees for the Bahrain FTA

List of USTR's Bahrain FTA Committee Reports

Reports for the following Trade Advisory Committees are available at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/Bahrain/reports/index.htm:

Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN);

Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC);

Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee (IGPAC);

Labor Advisory Committee (LAC);

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC);

Six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade (ATACs);

Animal and Animal Products ATAC

Fruits and Vegetables ATAC

Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts ATAC

Sweeteners ATAC

Grains, Feed, and Oilseeds ATAC

Processed Foods ATAC

  1. Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs):

ITAC 1 - Aerospace Equipment

ITAC 2 - Automotive Equipment and Capital Goods

ITAC 3 - Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science Products & Services

ITAC 4 - Consumer Goods

ITAC 5 - Distribution Services

ITAC 6 - Energy and Energy Services

ITAC 7 - Forest Products

ITAC 8 - Technologies, Services, and Electronic Commerce

ITAC 9 - Non-Ferrous Metals and Building Materials

ITAC 10 - Services and Finance Industries

ITAC 11 - Small and Minority Business

ITAC 12 - Steel

ITAC 13 - Textiles and Clothing

ITAC 14 - Customs Matters and Facilitation

ITAC 15 - Intellectual Property

ITAC 16 - Standards and Technical Trade Barriers

In addition, the USTR's Web site also contains links to the draft text of the Bahrain FTA, the USTR's Congressional notification letters, fact sheets, USTR press releases, etc. These documents can be accessed at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/bahrain.htm

USTR Press Release (Press Release 2004-61, dated 07/19/04) available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/07/04-60.pdf