A multilateral

free trade agreement A free trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating state (polity), states. There are two types of trade agreements: Bilateralism, bilateral and Multilateralism, m ...

is between several countries all treated equally, and creates a

free trade area A free trade area is the region encompassing a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement (FTA). Such agreements involve cooperation between at least two countries to reduce trade barriers, import quotas and tariffs, and ...

. Every

customs union A customs union is generally defined as a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff.GATTArticle 24 s. 8 (a) Customs unions are established through trade pacts where the participant countries set u ...

common market A single market, sometimes called common market or internal market, is a type of trade bloc in which most trade barriers have been removed (for goods) with some common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of ...

economic union An economic union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a common market with a customs union. The participant countries have both common policies on product regulation, freedom of movement of goods, services and the factors of prod ...

customs and monetary union A customs and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a customs union and a currency union. The participant countries have both common external trade policy and share a single currency. Customs and monetary union is establis ...

and

economic and monetary union An economic and monetary union (EMU) is a type of trade bloc that features a combination of a common market, customs union, and monetary union. Established via a trade pact, an EMU constitutes the sixth of seven stages in the process of economi ...

is also a free trade area, and are not included below.

World Trade Organization agreements

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its p ...

of 1994 **

Agreement on Agriculture The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is an international treaty of the World Trade Organization. It was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on Ja ...

Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, also known as the SPS Agreement or just SPS, is an international treaty of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agree ...

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, commonly referred to as the TBT Agreement, is an international treaty administered by the World Trade Organization. It was last renegotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tarif ...

Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures The Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) are rules that are applicable to the domestic regulations a country applies to foreign investors, often as part of an industrial policy. The agreement, concluded in 1994, was negotiated ...

**Agreement on Anti-Dumping **Agreement on Customs Valuation **Agreement on Preshipment Inspection **Agreement on Rules of Origin **Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures **Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures **Agreement on Safeguards **Agreement on Trade Facilitation *

General Agreement on Trade in Services The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is a treaty of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which entered into force in January 1995 as a result of the Uruguay Round negotiations. The treaty was created to extend the multilateral trading ...

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international agreement, international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It establishes minimum standards f ...

* Dispute Settlement Understanding *Trade Policy Review Mechanism *Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft *

Agreement on Government Procurement The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) is a plurilateral agreement under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which regulates the procurement of goods and services by the public authorities of the parties to the agreement, ba ...

*Arrangement regarding Bovine Meat, this agreement was terminated end 1997. *

International Dairy Agreement The International Dairy Agreement (IDA) replaced the International Dairy Arrangement, which had been established in 1980. Its primary function was to expand and liberalize world trade in dairy products through international cooperation. The agreem ...

, this agreement was terminated end 1997. * Information Technology Agreement *

Bali Package The Bali Package is a trade agreement resulting from the Ninth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in Bali, Indonesia on 3–7 December 2013. It is aimed at lowering global trade barriers and is the first agreement reached thr ...

Active agreements

European Union Customs Union The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dheke ...

(EUCU) - 1958 *

European Free Trade Association The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ...

(EFTA) - 1960 *

Andean Community The Andean Community (, CAN) is a free trade area with the objective of creating a customs union comprising the South American countries (Andean states) of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The trade bloc was called the Andean Pact until 1 ...

- 1969 *

Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement The Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), previously known as the Bangkok Agreement and renamed 2 November 2005, was signed in 1975. It is the oldest preferential trade agreement between countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The APTA market covers ...

(APTA) - 1975 * Southern African Development Community Free Trade Area (SADCFTA) - 1980 *

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

(GCC) - 1981 *

Southern Common Market The Southern Common Market (commonly known by abbreviation ''Mercosur'' in Spanish language, Spanish and ''Mercosul'' in Portuguese language, Portuguese) is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol ...

(MERCOSUR) - 1991 *

ASEAN Free Trade Area The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) is a trade bloc agreement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations supporting local trade and manufacturing in all ASEAN countries, and facilitating economic integration with regional and international all ...

(AFTA) - 1992 *

Central European Free Trade Agreement The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is an international trade agreement between countries mostly located in Southeastern Europe. Founded by representatives of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, CEFTA in 2006 expanded to Albania, Bo ...

(CEFTA) - 1992 *

Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is a regional international organization focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea ...

(BSEC) - 1992 *

Central American Integration System The Central American Integration System (, or SICA) has been the economic and political organization of Central American states since 1 February 1993. On 13 December 1991, the ODECA countries (Spanish: ''Organización de Estados Centroamericano ...

(SICA) - 1993 *

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area whi ...

(COMESA) - 1994 *

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Asso ...

(EEA) - 1994 * G-3 Free Trade Agreement (G-3) - 1995 *

International Grains Agreement The International Grains Agreement (IGA) is an international agreement focused on the grain trade which replaced the International Wheat Agreement in 1995, comprises a Grains Trade Convention (GTC) and a Food Aid Convention (FAC). The IGA is admin ...

- 1995 *

Greater Arab Free Trade Area The Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) (Arabic: مجلس الوحدة الاقتصادية العربية) was founded by Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and ...

(GAFTA) - 1997 * Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) - 2004 * South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) - 2004 *

East African Community The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, S ...

(EAC) - 2005 * ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) - 2010 *

Pacific Alliance The Pacific Alliance () is a Latin American trade bloc, formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which all border the Pacific Ocean. The alliance was formed with the express purpose of improving regional integration and moving toward complet ...

Free Trade Area (PAFTA) - 2012 *

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), previously abbreviated as TPP11 or TPP-11 before enlargement, is a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand ...

(CPTPP) - 2018 *

African Continental Free Trade Area The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the large ...

- 2019 *

United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement The Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA)Each signatory has a different name for the agreement—in the United States, it is called the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) ...

(USMCA) - 2020 *

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP ) is a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific countries of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, S ...

(RCEP) - 2022

Post-Soviet States only

Commonwealth of Independent States Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area The Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area () is an international agreement on the intention to create a free trade regime in goods signed by 12 post-Soviet states on 15 April 1994, at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent Sta ...

- Multilateral Free Trade Area established on 24 November 1999 - multilateral free trade regime is in force among 10 countries as of 2023 *

Eurasian Customs Union The Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union () or EAEU Customs Union () is a customs union of 5 post-Soviet states consisting of all the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) wh ...

of the

Eurasian Economic Union The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU)EAEU is the acronym used on thorganisation's website However, many media outlets use the acronym EEU. is an economic union of five post-Soviet states located in Eurasia. The EAEU has an integrated single ...

(EAEU) - 2010 as EurAsEC Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus - 5 countries as of 2023 *

Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area The Common Economic Space is the goal and the result of the process of economic integration of post-Soviet states envisaged by the Article 7 of the Agreement on the creation the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on 8 December 1991. Accordi ...

(CISFTA) - 2011 - among 9 countries as of 2023 *

GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development is a regional organization of four post-Soviet states: Georgia (country), Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Conceived in 1997 to harmonize and integrate commercial, diplomatic ...

(GUAM) FTA - unclear application, the WTO was notified in only 2017 - multilateral free trade regime among 4 countries (

International Trade Centre The International Trade Centre (ITC) () is a multilateral agency which has a joint mandate with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The headqua ...

says there is no free trade area in operation with distinct rules from an Agreement on Creation of CIS Free Trade Area, was signed on 15 April 1994 by 12 CIS countries.)

Proposed agreements

African Free Trade Zone The African Free Trade Zone (AFTZ) is a free trade zone announced at the EAC-SADC-COMESA Summit on 22 October 2008 by the heads of Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the ...

(AFTZ) between SADC, EAC and

COMESA The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area whi ...

Arab Maghreb Union The Arab Maghreb Union ( '; AMU/UMA) is a political union and economic union trade agreement aiming for economic and future political unity among Arab countries that are located primarily in the Maghreb in North Africa. Its members are the natio ...

(UMA) *

Association of Caribbean States The Association of Caribbean States (ACS; ; ) is an advisory association of nations centered on the Caribbean Basin. It was formed with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation, and concerted action among all the countries of the Caribbe ...

(ACS) * Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) * Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom Union (CANZUK) * China–Japan–South Korea Free Trade Agreement *

Community of Sahel-Saharan States A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geogr ...

(CEN-SAD) * Commonwealth Free Trade Area (CFTA) *

Economic Community of Central African States The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS; , CEEAC; , CEEAC; , CEEAC) is an Economic Community of the African Union for promotion of regional economic co-operation in Central Africa. It "aims to achieve collective autonomy, raise ...

(ECCAS) *

Economic Community of West African States The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...

(ECOWAS) *

Economic Partnership Agreements Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are a scheme to create a free trade area (FTA) between the European Union and other countries. They are a response to continuing criticism that the non-reciprocal and discriminating Preferential trading are ...

(EU-ACP) * Euro-Mediterranean free trade area (EU-MEFTA) *

Free Trade Area of the Americas The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA, , ALCA, Portuguese: ''Área de Livre Comércio das Américas'', ALCA, French: Zone de libre-échange des Amériques, ZLEA) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all ...

(FTAA) * Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), proposed

APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...

FTA *

Intergovernmental Authority on Development The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti. Formation The Intergovern ...

(IGAD) *

Open Balkan The Open Balkan is an economic and political zone of three member states in the Balkans, those being Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. The zone has a total area of and an estimated total population of almost 11million located in Central and S ...

Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) is an umbrella agreement between members of the Pacific Islands Forum (the Forum Island Countries plus Australia and New Zealand) which provides a framework for the future development of ...

(PACER and PACER Plus) * 2021 Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA) *

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian politics, political, economy, economic, international security and Defence (military), defence organization of ten member states. It was established in 2001 by the China, People's Republic ...

(SCO) *

Transatlantic Free Trade Area A Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) is a proposal to create a free-trade agreement covering Europe and North America, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Such proposals have been made since the 1990s. Between 2013 and about 2017 an agr ...

(TAFTA) * Tripartite Free Trade Area (T-FTA) *

Union of South American Nations The Union of South American Nations (USAN), sometimes also referred to as the South American Union, abbreviated in Spanish as UNASUR and in Portuguese as UNASUL, is an intergovernmental regional organization. It was set up by Hugo Chavez to ...

(USAN) * Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA)

Obsolete agreements

* International Tin Agreement (1956–1985) *

Caribbean Free Trade Association The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) was an English-speaking economic trade organisation. It organised on 1 May 1968, to provide a continued economic linkage between the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. The agreements est ...

(1968–1974) *Association of Iron Ore Exporting Countries (1974–1999) *International Bauxite Association (1974–1992) *

Multi Fibre Arrangement The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) governed the world trade in textiles and garments from 1974 through 1994, imposing quotas on the amount developing countries could export to developed countries. Its successor, the Agreement on Textiles and Clot ...

(1974–1994) *

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (, TLCAN; , ALÉNA), referred to colloquially in the Anglosphere as NAFTA, ( ) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The ...

(1994–2020)Was effective 01/01/199
WT/REG4/W/1

Abandoned agreement

Trans-Pacific Partnership The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), was a proposed trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietn ...

(TPP) - signed 2016, signature withdrawn by the United States in 2017 thus rendering the agreement unratifiable.

References

External links

bilaterals.org
- ''"Everything that's not happening at the WTO"''
fightingftas.org

FTAs submitted to the WTO

Americas FTAs

EU-ACP countries Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) Negotiations: Where do we stand?

Singapore official FTA site

EFTA official site

Australia official FTA site

Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements Notified to the WTO: developed by WorldTradeLaw.net and Bryan Mercurio

ptas.mcgill.ca

- Interactive list of bilateral and multilateral free trade instruments {{DEFAULTSORT:List of Free Trade Agreements * Multilateral free trade agreements Free trade treaties Globalization-related lists