The EFTA countries enjoy access to one of the world’s largest networks of preferential trade relations, covering 80% of EFTA’s merchandise trade.
The EFTA States jointly negotiate free trade agreements (FTAs) with partners outside the European Union in order to strengthen their competitive position and increase market access for their products. As a result, economic operators in the EFTA countries enjoy access not only to the EU’s internal market, but also to one of the world’s largest networks of preferential trade relations, which continues to expand thanks to an ambitious agenda of negotiations. Today, EFTA has 29 FTAs with 40 countries and territories outside the EU:
Africa - Middle East
- Egypt
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
- Israel
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Morocco
- Palestinian Authority
- Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
- Tunisia
Americas
- Canada
- Central American States (Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama)
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Mexico
- Peru