WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has added seven nations to its human trafficking blacklist.

The list includes several key U.S. allies in the Middle East. The new countries getting failing grades are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Malaysia.

They join perennial offenders such as Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria in the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

Sixteen states were given "Tier Three" status. The ranking means they do not fully comply with minimum standards and are not making "significant efforts" to do so, making them eligible for economic sanctions from the U.S.

Human trafficking covers sex workers, forced child labor, child soldiers, and involuntary and bonded servitude.