weighted score 4.7 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Bahrain
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Bahrain-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
5
Migrant worker exploitation documented. Kafala system reformed but structural vulnerabilities persist. Passport confiscation and wage theft reported.
Worker rights & FOA
6
Limited trade union activity. Freedom of association restricted. Political activists detained. ITUC rating likely 5.
OHS & audit transparency
4
Workplace safety standards improving in financial and industrial sectors. Construction sector OHS remains a concern for migrant workers.
Food & product safety
3
Small domestic food production. Import-dependent economy with established food safety import controls. BAFRA regulates food safety.
Environmental & regulatory
3
Limited EUDR-regulated commodity production. Environmental regulation improving but enforcement capacity limited.
Governance & anti-corruption
5
TI CPI 2025: 50/100. Financial sector well-regulated. Political governance concentrated. Anti-money laundering framework functional but tested by regional flows.
Tariff & preferential access
7
No EU-Bahrain FTA. No EU-GCC FTA concluded. MFN tariffs apply. US-Bahrain FTA in force since 2006 but does not benefit EU-bound trade.
Non-tariff barriers
4
CBAM applies to aluminium exports from 2026. Limited other non-tariff barrier exposure for primary export categories.
Supply chain traceability
5
Aluminium supply chain relatively concentrated (Alba smelter). Financial services sector well-documented. Broader supply chain traceability moderate.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Migrant labour
- Bahrain's workforce is heavily dependent on migrant workers, primarily from South Asia and Southeast Asia. The kafala (sponsorship) system was reformed in 2009 but structural dependencies remain. Workers face passport confiscation, wage theft, and restricted mobility risks.
- Human rights concerns
- Documented detention of political activists including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and Hassan Mushaima. Torture allegations documented by international human rights organisations. Freedom of assembly and expression severely restricted.
- ILO conventions
- Bahrain has ratified core ILO conventions but enforcement is inconsistent. Independent trade unions exist in limited form. ITUC Global Rights Index rating is likely 5 (no guarantee of rights).
- ILAB status
- US Department of Labor has flagged Bahrain for labour rights concerns related to migrant worker protections.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- Trade framework
- No EU-Bahrain FTA in force. EU-GCC FTA negotiations resumed but not concluded. Standard MFN tariffs apply to most Bahraini exports.
- CBAM exposure
- Bahrain is a major aluminium producer (Alba smelter). Aluminium exports to the EU will be subject to CBAM declarations from 2026. Carbon intensity of aluminium production is a material compliance factor.
- Anti-dumping
- EU anti-dumping measures on aluminium foil from multiple origins may affect Bahraini aluminium product exports.
- EUDR exposure
- Low direct exposure. Bahrain is not a significant producer of EUDR-regulated commodities.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Primary export corridor
- Persian Gulf → Strait of Hormuz → Indian Ocean → Suez Canal → EU ports
- Key transit chokepoints
- Strait of Hormuz (critical — Iranian drone attacks in 2026 disrupted traffic), Suez Canal
- Main EU destination ports
- Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg
- Typical transit time
- 14–20 days to Northwest Europe
- Hormuz vulnerability
- Bahrain is entirely dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for maritime trade. Any closure or disruption directly impacts aluminium and petrochemical exports.