Trade Agreements and Related Activities

The rules of international trade have changed significantly. Recent international trade agreements have introduced new requirements that affect how food and cosmetic products are regulated and inspected.

FDA is also challenged by increasing expectations of its role in trade issues. U.S. trade agencies, food and cosmetic industries, and foreign governments now expect FDA, and CFSAN as the principal U.S. regulatory authority for foods and cosmetics, to assume more direct responsibility for attesting to the safety, quality, and label attributes of foods and cosmetics produced and exported from the United States.

• Participation to World Trade Organization Sanitary & Phytosanitary Committee
  • WTO SPS Committee
  
  
• Participation in North American Free Trade Area and Free Trade Area of the Americas Technical Committees and Working Groups
  • North American Free Trade Agreement
  • Free Trade Area of the Americas
  • U.S. - Chile Free Trade Agreement
  
  
• Technical Support to U.S. Trade Agencies
  • U.S. Trade Representative/Agriculture Sector
  • U.S. Trade Representative/Sanitary-Phytosanitary
  • U.S. Trade Representative/Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
  • U.S. Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration
  • Foreign Agriculture Service/U.S. Department of Agriculture
  
  
• Equivalence Determination of Food Safety Systems of other Countries
  • Veterinary Equivalence Framework Agreement (available in PDF, 6403 KB)