Effect of the International Agreement on Government Procurement and the Government Procurement Chapter of the North American Free Trade Agreement on public contracting opportunities

Abstract

This paper explores the specific legal content of the 1979 and 1993 Agreements on Government Procurement as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement's Chapter Ten (Government Procurement). One chapter addresses the use of free trade agreements, associated problems, and how the agreements have been applied to the public sector. The content of each of the primary documents is analyzed and comparisons made between the documents where applicable. Available data and studies are reviewed to determine the effect of the 1979 Agreement on Government Procurement on the current magnitude of public procurement contracts and the possible effects on the future bidding potential for suppliers of goods and services in the international government procurement marketplace. Finally, the prospect for the continued influence of free trade agreements on public sector contracting is examined.