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Ranked: Number of Trade Agreements Across 30 Economies

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November 18, 2025 8:43 am

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By

Julia Wendling

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  • Lebon Siu
  • Athul Alexander

The following content is sponsored by Hinrich Foundation

Ranked: Number of Trade Agreements Across 30 Economies

Fueled by post-Brexit trade agreements, the UK leads its peers with 39 deals. How do other economies from this year’s Sustainable Trade Index stack up?

This visualization, created in partnership with Hinrich Foundation, shows the number of trade agreements each country has in place, using data from the World Trade Organization.

The analysis comes from the 2025 Sustainable Trade Index (STI), which the Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

What Is a Trade Agreement?

A trade agreement is a pact between countries that sets rules for cross-border trade. These deals lower barriers like tariffs and quotas, making trade more predictable and encouraging investment.

Types include bilateral (two countries) and multilateral (three or more). They range from free trade agreements that reduce tariffs, to customs unions with shared external policies, and economic unions (like the European Union) with deeper integration.

Countries with the Most Trade Agreements

Of the 30 countries tracked by the STI, there is a huge range in terms of number of trade agreements. 

The UK ranks first with 39 agreements. The country focused on building trade ties with non-EU nations after voting to leave the bloc in 2016.

Rank Country Regional Trade Agreements (number)
1 UK 39
2 Chile 31
3 Singapore 28
4 Mexico 23
4 South Korea 23
6 Peru 21
7 China 20
8 Australia 19
8 India 19
10 Japan 18
11 Malaysia 17
12 Indonesia 16
12 Vietnam 16
14 Canada 15
14 New Zealand 15
14 Thailand 15
17 U.S. 14
18 Brunei 11
18 Philippines 11
18 Russia 11
21 Cambodia 10
21 Laos 10
21 Pakistan 10
24 Ecuador 9
24 Myanmar 9
26 Hong Kong 8
27 Papua New Guinea 6
27 Sri Lanka 6
29 Bangladesh 5
30 Taiwan 4

Chile ranks second with 31 agreements. Singapore follows in third place with 28 agreements. Both countries are small and depend heavily on imports.

Canada ranks 14th with 15 agreements. The U.S. ranks 17th with 14 agreements. Both countries sit in the middle of the pack.

Countries with the Least Trade Agreements

Several countries in the STI show limited openness to trade.

Taiwan ranks last with only 4 agreements. Bangladesh follows closely with 5 agreements. Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea each hold 6 agreements.

Russia maintains 11 agreements despite heightened geopolitical tensions. It ranks 18th overall.

Explore the Sustainable Trade Index

This infographic was just a small subset of what the Sustainable Trade Index has to offer. To learn more, visit the Hinrich Foundation, where you can download additional resources including the entire report for free.

Visit the Hinrich Foundation to download the entire report, for free.

Related Topics: #wto #2025 #sustainable trade index #Hinrich Foundation #agreements #trade

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