Norway - Country Commercial Guide
Trade Agreements
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For information on  Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner countries, including how to take advantage of an FTA, please follow this link FTA Help Center.

For a list of trade agreements between the European Union and other countries in the world, as well as concise explanations of these agreements, please consult, EU Trade Agreements 

United States and European Union Trade Agreement Regarding Tariffs on Certain Products

On August 21, 2020, the United States and the European Union announced a trade agreement regarding reductions on tariffs on certain products of interest to each side.  The agreed tariff modifications entered into effect on December 18, 2020, for the European Union, with the publication in the Official Journal of the EU of Regulation 2020/2131 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and on December 22, 2020, for the United States.  Under the agreement, the European Union eliminated tariffs on imports of certain live and frozen lobster products on a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) basis, retroactive to August 1, 2020.  European Union tariffs will be eliminated for a period of five years, and the European Commission will initiate procedures aimed at making the tariff elimination permanent.  The United States reduced by fifty percent its tariff rates on prepared meals, certain crystal glassware, surface preparations, propellant powders, cigarette lighters, and lighter parts.  United States tariff reductions are also on an MFN basis and retroactive to August 1, 2020.

Norway voted against joining the European Union (EU) in a 1994 referendum.  Except for the agricultural and fisheries sectors, however, Norway enjoys free trade with the EU under the framework of the European Economic Area (EEA).  This agreement aims to apply the four freedoms of the EU’s internal market (goods, persons, services, and capital) to Norway.  As a result, Norway normally adopts and implements most EU directives.  Norway is not a member of the EU’s Economic and Monetary Union and does not have a fixed exchange rate. 

Norway and other members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland - have jointly concluded 30 free trade agreements since the early 1990s.  These include Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Central American States (Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama), Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Hong Kong - China, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestinian Authority, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Singapore, Southern African Customs Union, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, and Ukraine.  The agreements cover trade in goods and services, services and investment, dispute settlement and other issues generally found in bilateral investment accords. 

Norway is currently negotiation free trade agreements with the People’s Republic of China, India, Malaysia, Moldova, Mercosur, and Vietnam.

For a list of trade agreements with the EU and its Member States, as well as concise explanations, please see: EU Trade Agreements