In an attempt to reduce barriers to international trade, public procurement agreements have evolved during the last three decades of the 20th-century at both global and regional levels. These agreements give rise to a number of complex, topical issues. Yet apart from studies on European Union procurement rules, there are few books on public procurement, particularly covering regional procurement agreements. This study provides an assessment of these agreements, focusing on the problem of protectionism in government procurement, long recognized as a major barrier to international trade.