The WTO procurement committee approved Australia’s membership in the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) in October. It will become the 19th GPA party when its accession is finalized. This post examines Australia’s commitments and
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
A consensus is developing among leading trading partners that the World Trade Organization needs reform, and needs it now, in part, to dissuade President Trump from carrying out his threat to pull the United States out of the organization. In a July 25
One of the central pillars of the Trump administration’s trade policy has been the negotiation of new agreements. That aim prompted the president to request an extension of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). However, so far, he has not launched negotiations
On April 21st, the European Union announced that it had reached an agreement in principle with Mexico on a new trade pact, which upgrades an existing agreement. Mexico will open more procurement to the EU than it has in any other free trade agreement (FTA).
December will mark the 10th year since China began negotiations to join the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). In the ensuing years, it has submitted six offers, with its latest offer tabled three years ago. While GPA parties continue to press it to
The U.S. trade agenda stands in stark contrast to that of the European Union. While one is inward looking and narrowly focused, the other looks outward and calls for an ambitious negotiating schedule. This post highlights the major actions that the Atlantic
An earlier post outlined the controversy surrounding investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) on both sides of the Atlantic. It also speculated on whether the issue would be taken up in a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This
Until recently, Brazil has shown little interest in the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) or foreign procurement markets. Instead, it adopted procurement policies that favored its own suppliers and created barriers to participation by foreign
On June 26, 2017, the European Commission released its 7th annual Report on Trade and Investment Barriers for 2016. It identified 372 trade barriers in over 50 countries, a 10% increase over 2015. The Report highlights 36 new barriers and the resolution of