The United States Needs Trade Agreements to Grow

The United States has some of the lowest trade barriers in the world. Overall U.S. trade with our free trade agreement (FTA) partner countries supports millions of American jobs. Trade agreements level the playing field by lowering other nations’ trade barriers, opening up foreign markets to U.S. exports and setting strong, enforceable rules for trade between the United States and those other countries. The United States has increased its exports to FTA partners following implementation of the FTAs with those countries. 

• In 2016, $675.8 billion of U.S. goods exports, or 47 percent, went to FTA partners.
• Since 2006 U.S. goods exports to countries with FTAs in effect with the United States in 2016 have increased by 38 percent.
• U.S. goods exports to Canada and Mexico have increased by $354.7 billion (250 percent) since NAFTA went into effect in 1994.
• U.S. goods exports to Chile have increased by 376 percent since the U.S.-Chile FTA took effect in 2004.
• U.S. exports to Singapore of medical equipment have increased from $170 million to $1.0 billion, or by 497 percent, since the FTA with Singapore went into effect in 2004.
• South Korea bought 15 percent of U.S. exports of industrial machinery in 2016.
• In 2016, $176.1 billion of U.S. services exports, or 23 percent, went to FTA partners.
• U.S. exports to Singapore of R&D and testing services have increased from $189 million to $4.9 billion, or by over 2,500 percent, since 2006 (earliest year available).