The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries concerning a variety of matters of economic policy. The agreement's goal is to "promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness; raise living standards; reduce poverty in our countries; and promote transparency, good governance, and enhanced labor and environmental protections."[1] Among other things, the TPP Agreement contains measures to lower trade barriers such as tariffs,[2] and establish an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (but states can opt out from tobacco-related measures).[1][3] A version of the text of the treaty "Subject to Legal Review (...) for Accuracy, Clarity and Consistency"[4] was made public on 5 November 2015.
The agreement is a subject to criticism by a number of global health professionals, internet freedom activists, environmentalists, organised labour, advocacy groups, and elected officials. They have criticized and protested against it, in large part because of the secrecy of negotiations, the agreement's expansive scope, and controversial clauses in drafts leaked to the public.[5][6][7][8][9]
Historically, the TPP is an expansion of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPSEP or P4), which was signed by Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore in 2005. Beginning in 2008, additional countries joined the discussion for a broader agreement: Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Vietnam, bringing the total number of participating countries in the negotiations to twelve. Participating nations aimed at completing negotiations in 2012, but contentious issues such as agriculture, intellectual property, and services and investments caused negotiations to continue.[10]
The United States government has considered the TPP as the companion agreement to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a broadly similar agreement between the United States and the European Union.[11]. Implementing the TPP has been one of the trade agenda goals of the Obama administration in the US.[12]
- ^ a b "Summary of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement". USTR. October 4, 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ "Australia and the Trans-Pacific Partnership: what we do and don't know". The Guardian. 6 October 2015.
- ^ "What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership?". Vox. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
- ^ Obama Faces Backlash Over New Corporate Powers In Secret Trade Deal. The Huffington Post. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ How To Fight The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Anti-TPP Petitions, Protests & Campaigns. International Business Times. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks Stir House Bipartisan Opposition. The Huffington Post. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Stiglitz, Joseph E. (15 March 2014). "On the Wrong Side of Globalization". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- ^ Gabrielle Chan (11 November 2014). Unions call for halt in TPP negotiations so that agreement can be scrutinised. The Guardian.
- ^ Schott, Jeffrey; Kotschwar, Barbara; Muir, Julia (2013). Understanding the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Peterson Institute for International Economics. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-0-88132-672-7.
- ^ Russel, Daniel. "Transatlantic Interests In Asia". U.S Department of State. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ "The Trans-Pacific Partnership". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 29 July 2015.