White House Signs Trade Frameworks with Four Latin American Partners to Expand Market Access

White House Announces Trade Frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala

The White House on Thursday announced reciprocal 'trade framework agreements' with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala — all governed by administrations aligned with President Donald Trump. The pacts are intended to reduce certain tariffs, remove non-tariff barriers and broaden access for U.S. goods such as agricultural products, medical devices, machinery and automobiles.

According to an official Washington statement, the agreements establish mutual commitments: the partner countries agreed to eliminate or relax rules and licensing requirements that limit the entry of U.S. goods, while the United States will reduce or waive tariffs on selected exports from those countries when those products are not produced in sufficient quantities domestically.

'These agreements will help American farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small businesses and manufacturers increase U.S. exports and expand trade opportunities with these partners,' the White House said.

Key, country-specific commitments

• El Salvador: Acceptance of U.S. standards for vehicles, auto parts, medical devices and pharmaceuticals to simplify market entry.
• Argentina: Preferential access for machinery, technology products, chemicals and agricultural goods, plus promised intellectual property reforms. The two governments also agreed to expand Argentine beef access to the U.S. market and to work to remove non-tariff barriers affecting agrifood trade.
• Guatemala: A favorable digital trade framework, including free cross-border data flows and a pledge not to impose taxes on U.S. digital services, together with strengthened labor rules to bar goods tied to forced labor. Officials said more than 70% of Guatemalan exports to the U.S. will enter tariff-free, with most remaining products subject to a 10% tariff.
• Ecuador: Stricter environmental commitments to improve forest governance, combat illegal logging and fully comply with international rules on fisheries subsidies. Ecuador will also eliminate or lower tariffs on key items such as fruits, nuts, legumes, wheat, wine and spirits and dismantle its variable agricultural tariff system. Agriculture officials noted bananas and cacao are among products affected by recent tariff changes.

All four governments welcomed the initiative as a way to boost exports, attract foreign investment and enhance competitiveness. The Trump administration emphasized these are framework-level market-access and regulatory commitments, not full free-trade agreements, and that the deals are expected to be formalized in the coming weeks. The frameworks also include a guarantee that partner countries will not impose digital taxes on U.S. companies as part of the digital trade commitments.

Next steps: The announcement remains at the framework stage; details and legal texts are expected to be negotiated and finalized in the short term before formal implementation.