Foreign Government Procurement Opportunities

Under trade agreements such as the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement and most of the Free Trade Agreements to which the United States is a signatory, foreign trading partners that are part of those agreements have committed to opening their government procurement markets to suppliers in the United States. Each agreement has rules describing how procurements should be conducted in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner, and represents opportunities for U.S. companies to export goods and services to these markets.

Click the links below to learn more about each country’s or group of country’s obligations relating to government procurement under international trade agreements and to find procurement opportunities in each country. If you run into any troubles or feel you are facing a foreign government trade barrier in procurement in these countries or any other, let the Trade Agreements Compliance Program know today!

Highlighted countries are obligated to provide transparent and non-discriminatory treatment to U.S. suppliers in their respective government procurement markets under the WTO GPA or one of the FTAs to which the United States is a signatory.

Countries

Armenia

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Procurement System in the Republic of Armenia
Procurement Opportunities: Procurement System in the Republic of Armenia

Australia

Obligations: Australia Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 15
Exporter's Guide: N/A
Information on Procurement System: Dept. of Finance, Purchasing and Contracting Division
Procurement Opportunities:
      Central Government: AusTender
      Australian Capital Territory: ACT Procurement
      New South Wales: ProcurePoint
      Northern Territory: Northern Territory Department of Business
      Queensland: QTenders
      South Australia: South Australian Tenders & Contracts
      Tasmania: Procurement Gateway
      Victoria: Tenders VIC
      Western Australia: Tenders WA

Canada

Obligations: Agreement on Government Procurement
NAFTA, Chapter 10
Exporter's Guide: GPA
NAFTA
Information on Procurement System: Buyandsell.gc.ca
Procurement Opportunities:
      Central Government: Buyandsell.gc.ca
*NOTE: Procurements in provinces and territories are covered under the GPA only.
      Alberta: Alberta Purchasing Connection
      British Columbia: BC Bid
      Manitoba: MERX
      New Brunswick: New Brunswick Opportunity Network
      Newfoundland and Labrador: Government Purchasing Agency
      Northwest Territories: Contract Registry
      Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia Tender Notices
      Nunavut: Nunavut Tenders
      Ontario: MERX
      Prince Edward Island: PEI Tenders
      Quebec: SEAO
      Saskatchewan: SaskTenders
      Yukon: Tender Management System

Chile

Obligations: Chile Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: Chile Free Trade Agreeement
Information on Procurement System: ChileCompras
MercadoPublico
Procurement Opportunities: MercadoPublico
(select “descargar” under licitaciones publicadas)

Colombia

Obligations: Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
Information on Procurement System: ColombiaCompra
US Embassy Blog on Government Procurement in Colombia
Procurement Opportunities: Contratos Consulta (Annual Procurement Plans)
ColombiaCompra

Costa Rica

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information on Procurement System: Mer-link (clink “Leyes y Reglamentos”)
Procurement Opportunities: Mer-link

Dominican Republic

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information on Procurement System: Comprasdominicana
Procurement Opportunities: Comprasdominicana

El Salvador

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information on Procurement System: Compr@sal
Procurement Opportunities: Compr@Sal

European Union

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: (link)
Information on Procurement System: Simap
Procurement Opportunities:
      European Union: Tenders Electronic Daily (TED)
*NOTE: Tenders from across the EU are listed in TED; however, some Member States maintain their own e-procurement portals. Where those separate portals can be found, they are listed below.
      Belgium: e-Procurement portal
      Estonia: E-procurement Estonia
      France: Plate-forme des Achats de L’Etat
      Germany: Bund.de
      Hungary: Procurement Database
      Ireland: eTenders
      Luxembourg: Portail des Marchés Publics
      Malta: Department of Contracts EPPS
      Netherlands: TenderNed
      Romania: eLicitatie
      Spain: Contratacion
      United Kingdom: Contracts Finder
      Public Contracts Scotland
      Central Procurement Directorate, Northern Ireland

Guatemala

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information of Procurement System: GuateCompras
Procurement Opportunities: GuateCompras

Honduras

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information on Procurement System: HonduCompras
Procurement Opportunities: HonduCompras

Iceland

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Icelandic Law on Public Procurement
Procurement Opportunities: Contract Announcement (Central Government)

Israel

Obligations: Israel Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 15
WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Government Procurement Administration
Procurement Opportunities: Government Procurement Administration
U.S. Commercial Service Israel

Japan

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Jetro
Procurement Opportunities: Jetro

Liechtenstein

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: LLV.li
Procurement Opportunities: LLV.li

Mexico

Obligations: NAFTA, Chapter 10
Exporter's Guide: NAFTA
Information on Procurement System: CompraNet
Procurement Opportunities:
Central Government: CompraNet

Morocco

Obligations: Morocco Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary
Information on Procurement System: Regulations on MarchesPublics
Procurement Opportunities: MarchesPublics.gov.ma

Nicaragua

Obligations: CAFTA-DR, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: USTR Summary on CAFTA-DR Government Procurement Provisions
Information on Procurement System: NicaraguaCompra
Procurement Opportunities: NicaraguaCompra

Norway

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Difi – Anskaffelser.no
Procurement Opportunities: Doffin

Oman

Obligations: Oman Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: Oman Free Trade Agreement
Information on Procurement System: ITA e-Oman Services for Government
Procurement Opportunities: Oman Central Government Website Tenders

Panama

Obligations: Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: N/A
Information on Procurement System: PanamaCompra
Procurement Opportunities:Panama Compra Business Opportunities Portal

Peru

Obligations: Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, Chapter 9
Exporter's Guide: N/A
Information on Procurement System: Organismo Supervisor de las Contrataciones del Estado
Procurement Opportunities: SE@CE

Singapore

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide:GPA
Information on Procurement System: Gebiz
Procurement Opportunities: Gebiz

South Korea

Obligations: Korea Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 17
WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Korea Free Trade Agreement
Information on Procurement System: Public Procurement Service (PPS)
Procurement Opportunities: PPS

Switzerland

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter’s Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: SIMAP-CH
Procurement Opportunities: SIMAP-CH

Taiwan

Obligations: WTO Agreement on Government Procurement
Exporter's Guide: GPA
Information on Procurement System: Public Construction Commission
Procurement Opportunities: Government e-Procurement System

Last Updated: April 17, 2014