Global Government Procurement Agreement upgrade waits on China

Forty-two countries are close to agreeing to an upgrade of their Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), a reform that could unblock billions of dollars of commercial opportunities (and many times more if China agrees to it) trade sources have revealed.

The GPA, a voluntary agreement within the World Trade Organisation, opens a wide spectrum of public contracts in member countries to bidders from other member countries, improving competition and efficiency as well as providing massive new markets in areas such as infrastructure and transport.

By upgrading the existing 1996 agreement, members hope to bring their rules into the internet age, deepen market access and offer special treatment for developing countries, which could persuade China to join – as it has committed to do at some stage – and bring in a vast new pool of contracts.

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