TPP Negotiations Continue Forward, USTR Says; Former Trade Reps Unsure Negotiations Will Meet Deadline
Negotiators made progress on trade remedies, dispute settlement, legal texts and sanitary standards at the most recent round of Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, which ended May 24, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said. Tariff packages, rules of origin and market access issues were also discussed at the negotiations. Countries also discussed Japan’s entry into TPP, and agreed Japan can join if each member country successfully completes its own domestic process approving Japan’s entry. The U.S. approved Japan's entry in April (see 13041222). The next round of TPP talks is July 15-25. The stated goal for conclusion of the talks is October. A group of former USTRs, speaking at a May 20 panel discussion, agreed the deadline is possible, but only if President Obama makes a strong commitment and secures Trade Promotion Authority (see 13052114). “TPP is the ultimate coalition of the willing,” said Susan Schwab, USTR from 2005-2009 under President George W. Bush. “Therefore it should be doable.” The negotiations will face “obvious hurdles,” Schwab said -- others on the panel pointed to entrenched special interests, such as sugar and dairy in the U.S. -- but “one has to be optimistic.”
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“I don’t know that it will get done this year, but it will get done in a reasonable time frame,” said Charlene Barshefsky, USTR from 1997-2001 under President Clinton. She cited numerous tensions in the agreement and different mindsets -- on economic policy, economic structure -- that can impede negotiations. The agreement will require some compromise in standards, said Mickey Kantor, who served as USTR under President Clinton from 1993-1996. But that flexibility can lay the groundwork for strong trade agreements and a better TPP overall: “[Compromise] is well worth doing if we have a good idea of where we are going after,” Kantor said.