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Bahrain

US Revised Tariffs (%)

10

Ease of doing business

theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:

Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.

 

Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

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Revised Tariff %
Original Tariff %
Country Tariff Rate %
Share of US Imports % (1 implies <1%)
10
10
3.7
1
Exports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Imports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Balance (in USD Bill.) 2024
1.65
1.2
0.44

Implications

The relationship between the US and Bahrain is primarily governed by a longstanding Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but recent universal US tariffs have layered additional complexity.


Here is an update on US Tariffs, Deals, and Company Impact for Bahrain as of October 2025:

Area

Status (October 2025)

Key Details & Impact

Bilateral Trade Agreement

US-Bahrain FTA is in Force

The Free Trade Agreement, in effect since 2006, continues to eliminate most tariffs on industrial and consumer products and opens Bahrain's services market to US firms. This foundation largely keeps most two-way trade at 0% duty.

New US Tariffs (The Exception)

10% Universal Reciprocal Tariff

Despite the FTA, US imports from Bahrain are subject to the 10% baseline reciprocal tariff imposed by the US Administration on almost all global partners since April 2025. This tariff has been imposed under an emergency act and is facing legal challenges in the US Supreme Court.

Product-Specific Tariffs

Section 232 Tariffs are in Force

Bahrain's key export, aluminum, remains subject to the US Section 232 national security tariffs. While the exact rate may vary, these have historically been an obstacle to Bahraini aluminum exports even with the FTA.

New Investment Deals

Major US Investments Secured

Bahrain has committed to significant US investments, including a large deal with US companies Boeing and General Electric (GE) for aircraft and engines, totaling over $7 billion. These deals aim to deepen economic ties despite the new tariffs.

Impact on US Companies in Bahrain

Favorable but with New Tax Concerns

Bahrain allows 100% foreign ownership and established the US Trade Zone (USTZ) to attract US manufacturing and logistics firms. However, a new 15% Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax on large multinational enterprises (effective Jan 1, 2025) and a planned broader corporate tax introduce new cost considerations for US companies operating there.

Impact on Bahraini Exporters

Increased Cost for US Market Access

Exporters, particularly in sectors like aluminum (already hit by Section 232) and other products now facing the 10% baseline reciprocal tariff, must either absorb the extra duty or pass the cost on to US importers/consumers to remain competitive.


In summary: The US-Bahrain trade framework is complicated by new tariffs that the Trump administration has levied globally, effectively overriding the duty-free provisions of the FTA for many products. Bahrain has responded by significantly increasing its investment in US industries, seemingly as a strategic way to mitigate the impact of the new US protectionist policies.

US Revised Tariffs

Country Tariffs

Balance of Trade

Commercial Guide

Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals

Tariff Rate for US

World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.

US Imports Guide 

United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.

Investing in USA

theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters

Sources : ForbesUSDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia International Trade Administration

theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

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