Government procurement in US trade agreements

Abstract

The United States has played an essential role in driving the agenda for the world trading system since the Second World War. An important component of that agenda has been the liberalization of government procurement, with the first plurilateral agreement signed in 1979 as part of the Tokyo Round. Since then, procurement has become a staple of other trade agreements, both in the WTO and in bilateral and regional pacts. This paper briefly outlines the government procurement commitments the United States has sought from its trading partners and the commitments which the US made in return, with a particular focus on how these positions have evolved over time.