Trade Agreements Act

The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) of 1979 was enacted to foster fair and open international trade. Under TAA, the products and/or services offered on your GSA Schedule contract are required to be only U.S. made or TAA designated country end products.  

A “U.S. made” end product is defined as an article that is mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States or that is substantially transformed in the U.S. into a new and different article of commerce with a name, character, or use distinct from that of the article or articles from which it was transformed.

A designated country end product is defined as a WTO GPA country end product, an FTA country end product, a least developed country end product, or a Caribbean Basin country end product. Or in the case of an article that consists in part of materials from another country, that is substantially transformed into a new and different article of commerce with a name, character, or use distinct from that of the article or articles from which it was transformed.

Examples of designated countries that are NOT TAA approved are China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Russia. It is critical for GSA Schedule contractors to understand “substantially transformation” and the “Country of Origin” for each product and service offered under their contract. This is especially important for Dealers / Resellers who do not control the manufacturing process and often rely on box markings and incomplete information.

 Here’s a complete list of TAA approved designated countries.