Which WTO agreement governs government procurement on a plurilateral basis?

The WTO agreement that governs government procurement on a plurilateral basis is the Government Procurement Agreement.

The Government Procurement Agreement, or GPA, establishes rules for covered purchases by public authorities from suppliers of other participating parties. It promotes transparency, open competition and non-discrimination in the procurement markets listed in each party’s commitments.

The GPA is plurilateral, meaning that only some WTO members are parties to it. Unlike the WTO’s multilateral agreements, it does not automatically bind every WTO member. The scope of coverage depends on each party’s schedules, including the government entities, goods, services and monetary thresholds included.

The original GPA was concluded during the Uruguay Round and entered into force in 1996. A revised version took effect in 2014. Government procurement is economically significant because public authorities buy infrastructure, supplies and services, but countries have traditionally retained substantial control over which purchases they open to foreign competition.