Negotiations: Momentum building on Pacific trade deal
Trans-Pacific Partnership would encompass 40% of the global economy and include 12 nations
SYDNEY:
Momentum is building towards a pan-Pacific trade agreement, representatives of Australia and the US said Saturday as talks between trade ministers began in Sydney. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would encompass 40% of the global economy and include 12 nations, has been the subject of negotiations for years. US President Barack Obama said in June he hoped to have an agreement on framing the deal, which has been slowed by debate on key details between the US and Japan, by November. Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb, hosting the Sydney talks, told the opening plenary that reports from negotiators were that “there does seem to be a real head of steam”. “I think a lot of progress has been made,” he said. US Trade Representative Mike Froman said since the last TPP meeting in Singapore in May, trade ministers had been in “almost constant” negotiations.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2014.
Momentum is building towards a pan-Pacific trade agreement, representatives of Australia and the US said Saturday as talks between trade ministers began in Sydney. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would encompass 40% of the global economy and include 12 nations, has been the subject of negotiations for years. US President Barack Obama said in June he hoped to have an agreement on framing the deal, which has been slowed by debate on key details between the US and Japan, by November. Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb, hosting the Sydney talks, told the opening plenary that reports from negotiators were that “there does seem to be a real head of steam”. “I think a lot of progress has been made,” he said. US Trade Representative Mike Froman said since the last TPP meeting in Singapore in May, trade ministers had been in “almost constant” negotiations.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2014.