The Office of the Western Hemisphere is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring U.S. trade policy in the Western Hemisphere. The office coordinates negotiation and implementation of U.S. trade agreements in the region, and oversees their operation once in force. The United States currently has 14 comprehensive trade agreements that consist of 20 countries, 12 of which are Western Hemisphere partner countries, including our two largest trading partners, Mexico and Canada. During 2024, 38.2 percent of U.S. goods exports and 31.1 percent of U.S. goods imports were with countries with these agreements.
Western Hemisphere Free Trade Agreements:
- U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
- U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement
- U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
- U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement
- Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
- U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement
For other countries in the region, the Office of the Western Hemisphere uses other mechanisms, including bilateral or plurilateral trade and investment councils like those with Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In addition to providing a forum for regular discussion of trade priorities, these arrangements have provided a foundation for negotiations in specific subject areas to improve trade opportunities. With Brazil and with Ecuador, the United States has Protocols on Trade Rules and Transparency, which include high-standard commitments on trade facilitation and customs administration, good regulatory practices, and anti-corruption. The Protocol with Ecuador also includes an annex on small and medium-sized enterprises. With Uruguay, the United States has protocols on trade facilitation and on environmental consultation.
In the Caribbean, the United States uses the trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) with the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM), to identify and address trade priorities among the member countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Monserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Eel, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands). In addition, 17 Caribbean countries are beneficiaries of U.S. preference programs, such as Caribbean Basin Initiative and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (Haiti HOPE).
Trade Data for the Western Hemisphere as of 2024 are:
U.S. total goods trade with the Western Hemisphere totaled an estimated $2.0 trillion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to the Western Hemisphere in 2024 were $889 billion, up 1.4 percent ($12.1 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from the Western Hemisphere in 2024 totaled $1.1 trillion, up 3.7 percent ($38.3 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade deficit with the Western Hemisphere was $188.7 billion in 2024, a 16.1 percent increase ($26.2 billion) over 2023.
