Government Procurement in Twenty-First Century PTAs

Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) have become the main vehicle to extend rules disciplining government procurement practices to non-signatories of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement. In fact, PTAs with deep procurement provisions have proliferated over time, with the majority entering into effect in the last two decades. This chapter discusses and examines the coverage of government procurement in recently concluded PTAs with a view to examining their relationship with the WTO, assessing potential gaps in their coverage, and pointing out new areas that are likely to gain prominence as preferential procurement provisions in the near future. The chapter also suggests ways and mechanisms by which PTAs can incorporate these new issues.