The WTO procurement committee, which oversees the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), has advanced significantly the transparency of its work. It has opened the files on the negotiations of the 2012 revision of the plurilateral agreement. This major
Parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), led by the European Union and echoed by Australia, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, criticized US implementation of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) at a
North Macedonia became the 49th WTO member to implement the plurilateral WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) on October 30th, four years after the last accession (Australia in 2019). The accession fulfills a commitment made by North
A paper examines how preferences and unilateral measures impacting procurement are creating tensions in the international trading system. These measures are extending beyond the procurement sector and its international disciplines. They are being
China issued new investment guidelines in mid-August in a bid to attract more foreign capital and improve its foreign investment environment. One of the 24 guidelines addresses government procurement. This post considers three elements of the procurement
The White House’s final guidance on implementing the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA Act), issued on August 14, added no provisions to its proposed guidance for the application of the Act’s ‘Buy America’ preference to
The United States and the European Union (EU) are teaming up on a green public procurement initiative. As two leading parties to the plurilateral WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), their joint action could have a significant motivating effect on
In its first meeting since July 2021, the WTO procurement committee approved North Macedonia’s membership in the plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). At the same time, it acknowledged Brazil’s withdrawal of its market access offer. This
Following a hiatus of nearly two years, the WTO Government Procurement Committee has – at last – selected a new chair, enabling it to resume its work. On May 17, it selected Martin Zbinden from Switzerland as Its new leader. This post looks
The European Union (EU) is implementing a Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) that is aimed at addressing distortions caused by foreign subsidies in EU public procurement. The EU contends that foreign subsidies could provide foreign firms with an unfair