The Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA)

This book examines the developments and impacts of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), which extends duty-free treatment to certain U.S. imports that meet domestic content and other requirements from designated countries in the Andean region.

The purpose of ATPA is to promote economic growth in the Andean region and to encourage a shift away from dependence on illegal drugs by supporting legitimate economic activities.

Critics of ATPA argue that unilateral trade programs are ineffective; that the ATPA has forced U.S. producers to compete with lower-cost Andean imports and, in the cases of Bolivia and Ecuador, that trade preferences should not be extended to countries that do not support U.S. foreign and trade policies.