A delegation of jewellers from Bahrain is to take part in an international jewellery show in the US in May.

Fifteen Bahraini jewellery companies and 40 other jewellers are taking part in the show, to be held in Las Vegas on May 29 and 30, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"This will be a great opportunity for businesses to showcase their products in the US, away from their traditional markets in the region," said Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) pearl and gold jewellery committee head Mohammed Sajid Shaikh.

"While 15 companies will set up stalls at the event, the other 40 will engage in business to business meetings with jewellers from around the world," he said.

"This will also be the first time Bahrain' jewellers will step outside their traditional strongholds of Asia, the Middle East and the GCC."

He said the jewellers' participation will also give fresh impetus to Bahrain's trade with the US in keeping with the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement between the two nations.

Shaikh was speaking after a meeting of the committee at the BCCI in Sanabis.

"Bahrain's jewellers have also received an assurance from the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry that workshops in the Manama area will not be disturbed for at least another five years for them to make alternative arrangements," he said.

Shaikh said jewellers were earlier under threat to relocate to Salmabad in keeping with fire safety and environmental concerns.

"We have agreed to now set up a committee comprising representatives from the Manama Municipality, the Civil Defence, the BCCI and the Supreme Council for Environment to look into all issues so that jewellery workshops could remain in the Manama area."

Shaikh also revealed Bahrain's plans to take up the issue of joint customs levies in all GCC countries during their next meeting in Riyadh on April 1.

"Though uniform tariffs have already been agreed to between all GCC countries, some nations still do not implement them," he said. "This causes Bahrain's jewellers to lose out."-TradeArabia News Service