Washington, D.C.  -  Congressman Mike Rogers voted against the Bahrain Free Trade Agreement today, saying the agreement could unnecessarily harm the Third District’s textile sector, and put good paying Alabama jobs at risk by giving countries like China another unfair advantage for increasing exports duty-free to the U.S.

“East Alabama’s textile manufacturers continue to struggle against China’s unwillingness to compete fairly,” Rogers said. “This bill, like the Morocco Free Trade Agreement, could give countries like China another back door for increasing their exports to the United States, and I am disappointed the House has passed it today.”

Rogers said H.R. 4340, the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, would remove most tariffs for goods traded between the United States and Bahrain, as well as increase the total amount of goods Bahrain can export to the U.S. However, Rogers says the agreement contains Trade Preference Levels (TPLs) that do not limit the source of the yarn for these exports, a loophole he says countries like China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam could exploit.

“This trade agreement does not help level the playing field for the Third District’s textile manufacturers,” Rogers said. “I am certainly a supporter of new trade agreements, but only as long as the Third District’s major employers tell me they should be good for their businesses and good for their workers.”

Rogers said the agreement, which passed the House 327-95, allows Bahrain to export an additional 65 million square meter equivalents (SMEs) of textiles to the U.S., some or all of which could originate from countries like China. In July 2004, Rogers said he voted against H.R. 4842, the United States-Morocco Free Trade Implementation Act, because of similar concerns over TPLs.  

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