Trade Promotion Agreement: United States of America and Panama 

 
The Trade Promotion Agreement with Panama was signed into law on October 21st, 2011, and entered into force in both countries on October 21st, 2012.

Panama sought the TPA in order to make trade rules with the United States permanent, and perhaps more significantly, to promote not only exports, but also to increase foreign investment in the country.

The TPA established a bilateral free trade area that eliminates tariffs on the vast majority of goods which satisfy the Agreement’s rules of origin. There are specific provisions in the Agreement on customs administration and trade facilitation that would promote bilateral trade in goods. The TPA also liberalizes cross-border trade in virtually all services, with specific chapters focused on financial and telecommunication services. It builds upon existing WTO agreements, as well as other agreements and international commitments, by strengthening the rules that govern investment, intellectual property rights, labor, the environment, and government procurement.

For more information, please click the following seal to visit the page of the Office of the United States Trade Representative to download the TPA´s Final text: