It is important for U.S. exporters to be aware of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) the U.S. has and the benefits of doing business with FTA countries.

What are Free Trade Agreements?

Free trade agreements (FTAs) have proven to be one of the best ways to open up foreign markets to U.S. exporters. Today, the United States has FTAs in force with 17 countries.

Free Trade Agreements are an advantage to U.S. exporters in many ways:

• Trade agreements help open markets and expand opportunities for American workers and businesses and can help your company enter and compete more easily in the global marketplace.
• Trade agreements are also a tool for promoting fair competition and encouraging foreign governments to adopt open and transparent rulemaking procedures as well as non-discriminatory laws and regulations.
• Trade agreements can strengthen the business climate by including commitments on issues of concern along with the reduction and elimination of tariffs.
• Trade agreements may also include commitments on topics such as:

Assistance with Government Procurement

Enhancing Labor Rights

Enhancing Rules on Foreign Investment

Environmental Standards

Improving Customs Facilitation

Improving Intellectual Property Right Protection

Opening Service Sectors to Competition

What types of Trade Agreements does the U.S. have now?

The United States is party to many bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade agreements (more information about each can be found by clicking on the country name)

Bi-lateral Trade Agreements: Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Peru and Singapore.

Multi-lateral Trade Agreements: the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).

General Agreements on Trade: The U.S. is also party to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT, overseen by the WTO) along with 152 other countries. U.S. Trade Promotion Agreements with Panama, Korea, and Columbia are pending congressional approval.

Trade Agreements in Negotiation: The U.S. is also in negotiations on trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) which includes Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Where Can I Find More Information?

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has principal responsibility for administering U.S. trade agreements. This involves monitoring our trading partners' implementation of trade agreements with the United States, enforcing America's rights under those agreements, and negotiating and signing trade agreements that advance the President's trade policy.

For more information, please click here!