Key takeaways
- Products from FAR "designated countries" can be treated like US products in federal procurements covered by trade agreements.
- Designated countries include WTO Government Procurement Agreement countries, Free Trade Agreement countries, least developed countries and Caribbean Basin countries.
- State and local governments and utilities follow their own rules, and federally funded infrastructure can bring Build America, Buy America requirements.
How to use these guides
Find your country below. Each guide covers how your products are treated in US federal purchasing, what to register, how your time zone affects outreach and how Kensington Sales Group helps companies from your country build a US pipeline. For the full picture, read how international companies sell to US government and selling to US utilities from abroad.
Countries
Americas
| Country | FAR designated country | Time difference from US Eastern |
|---|
| Canada | Yes (WTO GPA) | in the same time zones as much of the US, or within a few hours |
| Mexico | Yes (FTA) | 1 to 2 hours behind US Eastern time in Mexico City, depending on the season |
| Chile | Yes (FTA) | 0 to 2 hours ahead |
| Colombia | Yes (FTA) | same as US Eastern time in winter and 1 hour behind in summer |
| Brazil | No | 1 to 2 hours ahead |
| Costa Rica | Yes (FTA) | 1 to 2 hours behind US Eastern time, depending on the season |
| Peru | Yes (FTA) | same as US Eastern time in winter and 1 hour behind in summer |
Europe
| Country | FAR designated country | Time difference from US Eastern |
|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 5 hours ahead |
| Germany | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Netherlands | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| France | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Ireland | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 5 hours ahead |
| Denmark | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Sweden | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Finland | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Norway | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Switzerland | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Spain | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Italy | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Belgium | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Austria | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Estonia | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Poland | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Portugal | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 5 hours ahead |
| Czech Republic | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Lithuania | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Latvia | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Iceland | Yes (WTO GPA) | 4 to 5 hours ahead |
| Luxembourg | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Ukraine | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Greece | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Slovenia | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Slovakia | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Hungary | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Romania | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Croatia | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Cyprus | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
| Malta | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 6 hours ahead |
| Bulgaria | Yes (WTO GPA) | typically 7 hours ahead |
Middle East and Africa
Asia-Pacific
| Country | FAR designated country | Time difference from US Eastern |
|---|
| Australia | Yes (WTO GPA and FTA) | roughly 14 to 16 hours ahead |
| Japan | Yes (WTO GPA) | 13 to 14 hours ahead |
| South Korea | Yes (WTO GPA and FTA) | 13 to 14 hours ahead |
| Singapore | Yes (WTO GPA and FTA) | 12 to 13 hours ahead |
| New Zealand | Yes (WTO GPA) | 16 to 18 hours ahead |
| Taiwan | Yes (WTO GPA) | 12 to 13 hours ahead |
| India | No | 9.5 to 10.5 hours ahead |
Designated country status from FAR 25.003. Time differences are typical and shift with daylight saving time.