Overview

On Wednesday 12th October, the US Congress passed free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, culminating more than six years of negotiation and political wrangling across two US administrations. However, the agreements will not enter into force until the three other parties to the accords conform their laws to the treaties’ requirements.

The treaty with South Korea would be the United States' largest free trade agreement since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. The three deals represent a means for the US to catch up with competitors' moves to open these markets for their exporters.

This briefing outlines the principal points of each country's trade agreement and explains why implementation of the agreements may face substantial delays.

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