House Member Introduces Legislation to Extend Cotton, Fiber Preferences in Bahrain FTA

Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., introduced on June 24 legislation, HR-4955, that would extend certain duty free preferences in the U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement (FTA) slated to expire at the end of 2015. The FTA provides duty-free preferences to U.S. imports of certain cotton and man-made fiber fabric wholly formed in Bahrain from yarn produced or obtained outside the territory of Bahrain or the U.S., as well as certain cotton or man-made fiber “made up” goods that are cut or knit to shape and sewn or otherwise assembled in Bahrain from fabric wholly formed in Bahrain or the U.S. deriving from yarn produced or obtained outside Bahrain or the U.S. The legislation would extend the preferences through Dec. 31, 2025. The FTA permits duty-free annual import of such products up to 65 million square meters equivalent.