VA FSS Contracts and the Trade Agreements Act

The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) is applicable to all Schedules.  Under the terms of the TAA, only US-made or designated country end products shall be awarded to responsible VA FSS contractors.

When an item consists of components from various countries and the components are assembled in an additional country, the test to determine country of origin is “substantial transformation” (see FAR 25.001(c)(2)).  Offerors requiring a determination on substantial transformation can go to the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Regulations and Rulings.

FAC 2005-59 recently updated the list of “designated countries” by adding Colombia as a Free Trade Agreement country.  Below are the most current lists of designated countries and is subject to change.  Further information about the Trade Agreements Act can be found in clause 52.225-5 Trade Agreements.

World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement Countries Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (known in the WTO as “the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei)”), and the United Kingdom

Least Developed Countries Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia

Caribbean Basin Countries Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saba, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Trinidad and Tobago

Free Trade Agreement Countries Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Korea (Republic of), Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, and Singapore.