Yesterday, Thursday November 13th, the Trump Administration announced new frameworks for trade deals for certain products from 4 Latin American countries. Framework trade agreements are under review with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala with the aim of lowering costs for American consumers. Examples of some of the products benefiting are:
- Bananas
- Beef
- Coffee
- Textiles
Here’s a brief overview of the frameworks per country:
Argentina
- Grant preferential market access for US exports across key sectors (medicines, chemicals, machinery, IT, medical devices, motor vehicles, agricultural goods)
- Address intellectual property challenges (patent criteria, backlog, geographical indications)
- Work toward aligning its IP regime with international standards
Ecuador
- Commit to strong environmental and forest-sector protections
- Implement WTO fisheries subsidy rules
- Reduce or eliminate tariffs on several agricultural and consumer goods (tree nuts, fruit, pulses, wheat, wine, spirits)
- Remove variable tariffs in the Andean Price Band System
El Salvador
- Remove or streamline non-tariff barriers
- Accept US standards for vehicles and auto parts
- Accept FDA certificates for medical devices and pharmaceuticals
- Ensure US agricultural exports (e.g., cheese, meat) aren’t restricted based on product terminology
Guatemala
- Support digital trade by avoiding discriminatory digital taxes and permitting cross-border data flows
- Support WTO moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions
- Strengthen labor rights enforcement and prohibit imports made with forced labor
Full details of the agreements will be made available in the coming weeks and it’s worth noting that tariffs on most other items will remain unchanged – you can see the White House notice here. We will communicate the details of the final agreements as we receive them.
If you haven’t done so already, please plan to join us next week on Tuesday, November 18th, when we’ll discuss what to know for 2026. See full details on our sign-up page here.
