Tag: WTO GPA

WTO GPA Update #12: Britain Set to Join GPA

In an October 2020 meeting, the parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) invited the United Kingdom to take the final steps to become a party to the Agreement in its own right in 2021. This post reviews Britain’s accession to the GPA and

Regional Trade Agreements: Role in Opening Procurement Markets

A recently published article, “Growing Significance of Regional Trade Agreements in Opening Public Procurement” compares the role of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and regional trade agreements (RTAs) in opening government procurement

The WTO Government Procurement Agreement: A Djaghe Reference Paper

A Djaghe reference paper, The Government Procurement Agreement under the World Trade Organization, examines the treatment of government procurement under the WTO. It begins with a brief consideration of the exclusion of procurement from multilateral

GPA Reciprocity: Incentives for Bilateral Agreements

This post presents a paper that examines the numerous derogations from the most-favored-nation (MFN) principle applied by parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Reciprocity conditions are attached to every element of market access

US-EU Talks: Procurement Prospects

The United States and the European Union have issued proposals on the scope of their planned trade negotiations that reveal significant differences. On January 12, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published negotiating objectives that call for a

Britain’s GPA Market Access Offer Approved

On November 27th, the parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) approved in principle the United Kingdom’s final market access offer for membership in the GPA, in its own right, after it leaves the European Union. They must still approve a

Opening Procurement Markets: WTO GPA & Regional Agreements

A paper examines the prospects for increasing the membership of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement beyond countries such as China and Russia with commitments to join the GPA. It contrasts the role of bilateral and regional trade agreements (RTAs) in

WTO GPA Update #10: Accession Negotiations

A report of the June 27th meeting of the WTO government procurement committee pointed to progress in negotiations of WTO members to join the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). It has been two years since the GPA added new members. This post highlights

2018 Government Procurement: Preview of Issues

In its first year, the Trump administration provided a broad indication of its approach to government procurement in international agreements, calling for a report aimed at strengthening Buy American requirements and revising the U.S. determination of

WTO GPA Update #9: Current Accession Negotiations

The WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) appears poised for expansion in 2017 – for the third straight year. According to the WTO Secretariat’s report of the June meeting of the GPA committee, several accession negotiations are nearing