International agreements are formal understandings or commitments between two or more countries. An agreement between two countries is called "bilateral,"Trade agreements help to address trade barriers between countries. That in the opinion of the Executive branch it generally reflects customary international law, but, in the opinion of the. The United States has comprehensive free trade agreements in force with 20 countries. The Articles lay out the Fund's purposes, which include the promotion of 'international monetary cooperation through a permanent institution. Congress is likely to continue to play a critical role in shaping international law's status in the U.S. legal system. RL32528. Treaties are the primary source of international law, and the Secretary-. General is the main depositary of multilateral treaties in the world. International environmental agreements (IEAs) are signed treaties that regulate or manage human impact on the environment in an effort to protect it.