Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.

Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade
and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
William H. Cooper
Specialist in International Trade and Finance
February 26, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL31356
Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Congressional Research Service
Summary
Free trade areas (FTAs) are arrangements among two or more countries under which they agree to
eliminate tariffs and nontariff barriers on trade in goods among themselves. However, each
country maintains its own policies, including tariffs, on trade outside the region.
In the last few years, the United States has engaged or has proposed to engage in negotiations to
establish bilateral and regional free trade arrangements with a number of trading partners. Such
arrangements are not new in U.S. trade policy. The United States has had a free trade arrangement
with Israel since 1985 and with Canada since 1989, which was expanded to include Mexico and
became the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) effective in January 1994.
U.S. interest in bilateral and regional free trade arrangements surged, and the Bush
Administration accelerated the pace of negotiations after the enactment of the Trade Promotion
Authority in August 2002. U.S. participation in free trade agreements can occur only with the
concurrence of Congress. In addition, FTAs affect the U.S. economy, with the impact varying
across sectors.
The 112
th
Congress and the Obama Administration faced the question of whether and when to act
on three FTAs pending from the Bush Administration—with Colombia, Panama, and South
Korea. Although the Bush Administration signed these agreements, it and the leaders of the 110
th
Congress could not reach agreement on proceeding to enact them. No action was taken during the
111
th
Congress either.
After discussion with congressional leaders and negotiations with the governments of Colombia,
Panama, and South Korea to assuage congressional concerns regarding treatment of union
officials (Colombia), taxation regimes (Panama), and trade in autos (South Korea), President
Obama submitted draft implementing legislation to Congress on October 3, 2011. The 112
th
Congress approved each of the bills in successive votes on October 12, along with legislation to
renew an aspect of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. President Obama signed the
bills into law on October 21, 2011.
In the meantime, on November 14, 2009, President Obama committed to work with the current
and prospective partners in the negotiations to form a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.
The TPP is a free trade agreement that includes nations on both sides of the Pacific. The TPP
negotiations emerged from an FTA that included Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore and
that entered into force in 2006. Besides the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia,
Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam have joined the negotiations. Furthermore, the United States has been
negotiating with the 28-member European Union to form the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP).
FTAs raise some important policy issues: Do FTAs serve or impede U.S. long-term national
interests and trade policy objectives? Which type of an FTA arrangement meets U.S. national
interests? What should U.S. criteria be in choosing FTA partners? Are FTAs a substitute for or a
complement to U.S. commitments and interests inpromoting a multilateral trading system via the
World Trade Organization (WTO)? What effect will the expiration of TPA have on the future of
FTAs as a trade policy strategy?
Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Congressional Research Service
Contents
What Are Free Trade Areas? ............................................................................................................ 2
Why Countries Form FTAs .............................................................................................................. 3
FTAs in the Context of U.S. Trade Policy ....................................................................................... 3
Obama Administration Policy and Recent Developments ............................................................... 5
Economic Impact of FTAs ............................................................................................................... 8
FTAs and the WTO ........................................................................................................................ 10
The Debate Over FTAs .................................................................................................................. 11
Conclusions and Implications for Congress .................................................................................. 14
Tabl es
Table 1. U.S. Free Trade Agreements .............................................................................................. 7
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 15
Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Congressional Research Service 1
n the last few years, the United States has considered bilateral and regional free trade areas
(FTAs) with a number of trading partners. Such arrangements are not new in U.S. trade
policy. The United States has had a free trade arrangement with Israel since 1985 and with
Canada since 1989. The latter was suspended when the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) that included the United States, Canada, and Mexico went into effect in January 1994.
U.S. interest in bilateral and regional free trade arrangements surged, and the Bush
Administration accelerated the pace of negotiations after the enactment of the Trade Promotion
Authority in August 2002. U.S. participation in free trade agreements can occur only with the
concurrence of Congress. In addition, FTAs affect the U.S. economy, with the impact varying
across sectors.
The 112
th
Congress and the Obama Administration faced the question of whether and when to act
on three pending FTAs—with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. Although the Bush
Administration signed these agreements, it and the leaders of the 110
th
Congress could not reach
agreement on proceeding to enact them. No action was taken during the 111
th
Congress either. In
addition, the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) expired on July 1, 2007, meaning that any new
FTAs agreed to would not likely receive expedited legislative consideration, unless the authority
is renewed.
1
After discussion with congressional leaders and negotiations with the governments of Colombia,
Panama, and South Korea to assuage congressional concerns regarding treatment of union
officials (Colombia), taxation regimes (Panama), and trade in autos (South Korea), President
Obama submitted draft implementing legislation to Congress on October 3, 2011. The 112
th
Congress approved each of the bills in successive votes on October 12, along with legislation to
renew an aspect of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.
In the meantime, on November 14, 2009, President Obama committed to work with the current
and prospective partners to form the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement. The TPP is a
free trade agreement that includes nations on both sides of the Pacific. The TPP grew out of an
FTA that included Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. Besides the United States,
Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam have also joined the
negotiations.
2
Furthermore, the United States is negotiating with the European Union to form the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
3
FTAs raise some important policy issues: Do FTAs serve or impede U.S. long-term national
interests and trade policy objectives? Which type of an FTA arrangement meets U.S. national
interests? What should U.S. criteria be in choosing FTA partners? Are FTAs a substitute for or a
complement to U.S. commitments and interests inpromoting a multilateral trading system via the
World Trade Organization (WTO)? What effect will the expiration of TPA have on the future of
FTAs as a trade policy strategy?
1
For more information on TPA, see CRS Report RL33743, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of
Congress in Trade Policy, by William H. Cooper.
2
For more information on the TPP, see CRS Report R42694, The Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) Negotiations and
Issues for Congress, coordinated by Ian F. Fergusson.
3
For more information on the TTIP, see CRS Report R43387, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
Negotiations, by Shayerah Ilias Akhtar and Vivian C. Jones.
I
Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Congressional Research Service 2
This report will monitor pending and possible proposals for U.S. FTAs, relevant legislation, and
other 113
th
Congress interest in U.S. FTAs.
What Are Free Trade Areas?
Free trade areas are part of the broad category of trade arrangements under which membercountries grant one another preferential treatment in trade. Preferential trade arrangements
include the following:
• free trade areas(FTAs), under which member countries agree to eliminate
tariffs and nontariff barriers on trade in goods within the FTA, but each country
maintains its own trade policies, including tariffs on trade outside the region;
• customs unions, in which members conduct free trade among themselves and
maintain common tariffs and other trade policies outside the arrangement;
• common markets, in which member countries go beyond a customs union by
eliminating barriers to labor and capital flows across national borders within the
market; and
• economic unions, where members merge their economies even further by
est