Boosting Free Trade

Manama : A top official from the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain)  yesterday announced full support to businesses in Bahrain in using and benefitting from the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA). 

H. Delano Roosevelt, AmCham Vice President, was speaking during a tour to the plant of Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (GARMCO) in northern Sitra. 

“The purpose of AmCham’s plant tours is to better know and understand the industries in Bahrain and related business opportunities,” said Roosevelt adding: “AmCham is honoured to learn about an important industry in Bahrain.” 

The U.S. is GARMCO’s largest export market outside MENA region, currently receiving about 40 per cent of GARMCO’s manufactured products.  GARMCO strategically ships and stores products from the Bahrain mill at the Baltimore Maryland, Houston Texas, and Long Beach California, facilitating convenient just-in-time delivery to customers. GARMCO also partners with a U.S. university for research and development.

Mohamed Essa Ebrahim, GARMCO Acting Chief Executive Officer, provided AmCham members with an overview of GARMCO growth, future plans, and the way it benefited from the U.S.-Bahrain FTA in opening the U.S. market for its products.  

Ebrahim said: “Our soon to be operational re-melt plant will increase production while saving energy and resources.”  

Aluminium is the top export from Bahrain to the U.S.  In 2016, $406M worth of Aluminium was exported to the U.S., up from $293M in 2015.  GARMCO’s rolled Aluminium coils are a significant part of this increasing and important export.