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The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations

Deborah ElmsG1 Conference Tokyo

November 3, 2011

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Nine countries, three continents, diverse levels of economic development◦ Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand,

Peru, Singapore, United States, Vietnam “High quality, 21st century” agreement Accession clause

◦ Open to new members, especially from APEC Nine formal negotiating rounds held, starting

in March 2010 “Broad outlines” due by November 2011

APEC

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement

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Substantial scope◦ Including “behind the border” measures

Depth◦ Limited sensitivities

Shared set of norms and commitments Beyond bilateral arrangements

◦ Address noodle bowl problems of overlapping PTAs Attractive to developed and developing

country members Note: 21st century, high quality has not been

defined by government negotiators

21st Century, High Quality Means

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Dense Links Already Among TPP Members

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For market access in goods◦ No exclusions, including sensitive products in

agriculture◦ No special provisions for textiles◦ Phase out of quantitative restrictions?

Liberal Rules of Origin criteria In services

◦ Liberalize on basis of negative list◦ Modest sensitivities allowed◦ Even-move away from WTO modalities on

services?

21st Century TPP Could Mean

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Market Access Industrial Goods Agriculture

Textiles Technical Barriers to Trade

Rules of Origin

Sanitary, Phytosanitary

Measures

Customs Cooperation Investment

Services Financial Services Telecommunications

E-Commerce Business Mobility Government Procurement

Competition Intellectual Property Labor

Environment Capacity Building Trade Remedies

TPP Negotiating Topics Include

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TPP members committed to including “new” issues—21st century topics

Five topics lumped (for now) into horizontal basket◦ Supply chain management◦ Small and medium enterprise (SME) support◦ Regulatory coherence

May be addressed in individual chapters instead◦ Competitiveness◦ Development

Horizontal Basket

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Negotiating Rounds in the TPP

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APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Honolulu◦ “Broad Outlines” Due◦ Hard to say how close to completion

Japanese announcement could seriously upset apple cart

Now that KORUS be approved on US side, what next? What will Korea do vis-à-vis TPP?

Other potential members?◦ Procedure: bilateral meetings, full group

consensus, interim membership for 3 rounds only

What Next?

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TPP Research Network◦ 21 members

First book published in August 2012, Cambridge University Press

Run from Temasek Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN)

For further information, contact me at isdelms@ntu.edu.sg

TPP Research Network