BAHRAIN: WTO SERVICE NEGOTIATIONS

UNCLAS MANAMA 000006

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI-BERNS AND EB/TP/MTA/MST-WHITTEN
GENEVA FOR USTR-GREENIDGE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD BA WTO
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: WTO SERVICE NEGOTIATIONS

REF: STATE 270998


1. The United States and Bahrain signed a bilateral Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) on September 14, 2004. Considered to
be a model FTA, the agreement contains broad commitments to
open services markets. Bahrain will accord substantial
market access across its entire services regime, providing
among the highest degree of market access of any U.S. FTA
negotiated to date. Key services sectors covered by the
agreement include audiovisual, express delivery,
telecommunications, computer and related services,
distribution, healthcare, construction, architecture and
engineering. The FTA provides benefits for businesses
wishing to supply services cross-border as well as businesses
wishing to establish a presence locally in the other country.
The agreement uses a negatives list of sectors specifically
excluded. U.S. companies investing in the areas of
television, radio or other media, fisheries, and oil
exploration will receive Most Favored Nation status as
opposed to national treatment.


2. Sectoral Ranking: Post ranked the following sectors on a
scale of 1-5, with one being the highest, to indicate top
priorities for U.S. suppliers (based on openness, size, and
potential) and informally (low, medium, high) to demonstrate
Bahrain's current level of openness:

--Legal services: 1/M
--Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services: 2/H
--Taxation services: 4/H
--Architectural services: 5/H
--Engineering and integrated engineering services: 1/H
--Urban planning and landscape architectural services: 3/H
--Computer and related services: 1/H
--Research and development services: 1/H
--Real estate services: 1/H
--Rental/Leasing Services: 1/H
--Advertising services: 2/H
--Market research and public opinion, polling services: 1/M
--Management consulting services: 1/H
--Technical testing and analysis services: 1/M
--Services incidental to agriculture, hunting and forestry,
and fishing: 4/M
--Services incidental to mining: 4/L
--Energy services: 1/M
--Services incidental to energy distribution: 1/M
--Placement and supply services of personnel: 1/H
--Investigation and security: 3/H
--Related scientific and technical consulting services: 3/H
--Maintenance and repair of equipment: 2/H
--Building-cleaning services: 5/H
--Photographic services: 5/H
--Packaging services: 4/H
--Printing, publishing: 4/L
--Convention services: 3/H
--Courier services (Express Delivery): 1/H
--Telecommunication services: 2/H
--Audiovisual services: 3/H
--Construction and related engineering: 2/H
--Distribution Services: 1/L
--Educational Services: 1/H
--Environmental services: 1/H
--Insurance services: 1/H
--Banking and other financial services including securities:
1/H
--Tourism and travel-related services: 1/H
--Recreations and sporting services: 1/H
MONROE