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US FTAs

US FTAs are, along with the EU’s, the most far reaching in terms of achieving substantial change — or legal grounds for it — in other countries’ social and economic policies by setting US-friendly standards for investor privileges, environmental protection, workers’ rights, intellectual property, deregulation of service industries and privatisation in general, wherever they are signed.

Some are more comprehensive than others, with the most recent ones being the most comprehensive. They also follow a blueprint pattern, with the strongest "to date" serving as a model for the next one(s).

Before the year 2000, the US had only three comprehensive FTAs on the books: Canada, Israel and Mexico.

Since 2000, the US has concluded FTAs with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Jordan, Korea, Oman, Morocco, Singapore, Panama, Peru and the six Central American parties to CAFTA (Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua). The agreements with Colombia, Korea, Oman and Panama are still pending ratification.

In addition, a stepping-stone agreement on trade and investment, short of a full FTA, has been signed with the five members of the Southern Africa Customs Union (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland). The US is also in stalled FTA negotiations with Malaysia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

Countries reportedly on Washington’s "radar screen" for a bilateral FTA since some time include: Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

US-based industry associations and other pressure groups are lobbying for US FTAs with India, the EU, Japan and Taiwan. And in late 2008, the US decided (along with Australia, Peru and Vietnam) to enter into FTA negotiations with the members of the Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP).

last update: May 2012


US-UK FTA: Summary of specific negotiating objectives (US, Feb 2019)
As released by the Office of the US Trade Representative
US-Korea FTA: Protocol amending the agreement (Sep 2018)
As released by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
NAFTA: Summary of US objectives for the renegotiation (Nov 2017)
As published by the Office of the US Trade Representative
US Trade Promotion Authority (2015)
US-Korea FTA (2007)
Bipartisan trade deal: full text
Full text of the bipartisan trade deal reached between the US’ Democrat-led Congress and the Bush Administration
US-Korea FTA (2007): US summary of agreement
Published by USTR
US-Korea FTA (2007): Korean summary of agreement
The following is a summary of the free trade agreement (FTA) reached between South Korea and the United States Monday.