For more information on these and other trade negotiations, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
Taiwan
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative reports that the first agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade entered into force Dec. 10. This agreement, which was signed in June 2023, includes commitments on customs administration and trade facilitation, anti-corruption, good regulatory practices, services domestic regulation, and small and medium-sized enterprises. USTR notes that negotiations on a second agreement addressing other areas like labor, environment, and agriculture are ongoing.
EU-Mercosur FTA
The Associated Press reports that after “a quarter-century of on-off negotiations” the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations have completed negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement. However, the FTA faces strong opposition from France, the Netherlands, and other EU member with significant agricultural sectors. It also must be approved by the European Council, and the article notes that “if past EU trade agreements are any indication, ratification could take years.”
Angola
The U.S. and Angola signed recently a memorandum of understanding to launch a bilateral commercial and investment partnership that will seek to facilitate private sector-led trade and investment in both countries, including in priority sectors like agricultural technology and infrastructure. Among other things, the two governments intend to collaborate on identifying business environment issues that hinder bilateral trade and investment and propose potential solutions.
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