Historic and controversial, Trans-Pacific free trade deal is struck

[webfact]

Historic and controversial, Trans-Pacific free trade deal is struck



WASHINGTON: -- The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries have agreed what is described as a historic but also controversial deal to free up trade and harmonise standards.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) needs to be approved by the US Congress – where there’s been some initial scepticism – and the other nations’ parliaments.

Five years in the making, the deal between the 12 countries will reportedly affect some 800 million people and 40 percent of the world’s economy, influencing trade in everything from dairy produce to cancer treatment.

President Obama welcomed the agreement for his administration, it reflects America’s values and is fair to workers.

“We expect this historic agreement to promote economic growth, support higher paying jobs, enhance innovation productivity and competitiveness, raise living standards, reduce poverty in our countries, and to promote transparency, good governance, and strong labour and environmental protections,” said Michael Froman, the US trade representative at the talks.

The US hopes China will be forced to accept the standards the deal seeks to implement.

TPP’s supporters claim it could be worth billions of dollars to the countries involved.

Its critics argue it benefits big business and there are fears it may result in job losses.

The secrecy surrounding the talks has also aroused suspicion.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-10-06

[Publicus]

The Agreement is among 12 Pacific countries on four continents predicated in democracy and free market economies of almost 1 billion people totaling $27 Trillion GDP and 40% of global trade (Vietnam being a strategic exception).

Founding members are: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.

Aspiring new members have requested invitations to begin entry negotiations, to include Thailand, Taiwan, the Phillipines, Indonesia, South Korea, Columbia..

The US Senate in June cleared approval of this final TPP treaty under presidential fast track authority.

Next comes the Trans-Atlantic Investment and Trade Economic Partnership currently concluding negotiations which will integrate democracies and market economies totaling 1 billion population, $30 Trillion of GDP, plus $5 Trillion of new investment and trade.

Both treaties are predicated on the USDollar as the continued primary global currency of trade and as the continued principal reserve currency.

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42344.pdf

[shirtless]

Just like the last free trade agreement we can look forward to more jobs going abroad and less taxes being paid by the large corporations good one see how the last free trade deal panned out for western citizens.

[Usernames]

With Vietnam and Malaysia, I don't see any need for any more ASEAN countries, except for perhaps the Philippines.

[HooHaa]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

[Publicus]

A good number of people have been following this pretty closely.

For one thing this treaty will make it more difficult to devalue a currency in the interests of export-import mercantilism, the way they do in Beijing. Deliberately devalued Asian currencies cost jobs in the USA the yuan being number one.

TPP establishes new standards of environmental protection, labor-ownership relations, wages, conditions of employment; and it includes intellectual property laws and the rule of law; corporate responsibilities among many other 21st century provisions.

The CCP Boyz of Beijing devised their Aisa Infrastructure and Investment Bank as a response to TPP, to include the CCP grandiose New Silk Road project across Asia to Europe and that would include a Kra canal through southern Thailand which Bangkok absolutely does not want. AIIB is still a bunch of willful and arbitrary imaginings on the drawing boards of Beijing while the USA is going about doing the business of America in the world and global economy.

[oneday]

"...and there are fears it may result in job losses..."

They always say that and it is never born out.

[FangFerang]

The deal is bad for any developing country. It allows patent holders to take foreign companies to the world court, which means you can sue your competition out of business. Poor people who have medicine they could never afford in America will die.

Why do you think it's still secret, except to lobbyists and other "interested" parties? Except? EXCEPT?!

As another poster remarked, this is what the government was doing while we argued about Kim Davis's antics.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

Do I smell some anti-gay bigotry?

[sgtsabai]

After five years of secret talks, the twelve countries involved in the TPP negotiations reached an agreement. The deal was written by corrupt trade ministers and hundreds of corporate lobbyists without public (or even US Congressional) input. It is much more than a trade deal-- only 5 of the 29 chapters even deal with trade. The rest of the deal is about privatizing government programs and services for corporate profits, removing government regulations, and setting protections for multinational corporations and investors rather than the health of the planet or necessities of people.

The TPP is a corporate power grab that impacts every aspect of people's lives. If passed, it would take away environmental and food safety protections, increase US development of fracked gas and tar sands for export, lower wages and worker protections around the world, increase human trafficking, end what we have left of internet freedom, inhibit access to lifesaving medicine by extending patent rights to big pharmaceutical companies, spur further financial deregulation, increase land grabs of indigenous territory, and more.

The TPP would destroy the BDS movement, end buy-local and buy-America provisions, nullify any UN climate agreement, and set up rigged tribunals (that supersede even the US Supreme Court) for corporations to sue governments that pass laws or regulations that hurt their bottom line. The middle/working class, poor people, women, the lgbtq community, and people of color will be most impacted.

The US Trade Representative's Office should not have the ability to create binding laws that harm the public in so many ways. In fact, it is illegal. As Dr. Margaret Flowers explains, the TPP, TTIP, and TiSA are treaties, not "trade agreements." She says that "avoiding the designation of treaty means that Congress can avoid stricter requirements for oversight and passage and instead rush the agreements through Congress using a process called Fast Track."

The TPP is about more than any of these "issues." The TPP, along with two other treaties being negotiated, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), are essential tools of US empire and would be backed up by the US military. All three of these deals must be stopped so that we can begin to create the new world we so desperately need.

[Ulic]

After five years of secret talks, the twelve countries involved in the TPP negotiations reached an agreement. The deal was written by corrupt trade ministers and hundreds of corporate lobbyists without public (or even US Congressional) input. It is much more than a trade deal-- only 5 of the 29 chapters even deal with trade. The rest of the deal is about privatizing government programs and services for corporate profits, removing government regulations, and setting protections for multinational corporations and investors rather than the health of the planet or necessities of people. The TPP is a corporate power grab that impacts every aspect of people's lives. If passed, it would take away environmental and food safety protections, increase US development of fracked gas and tar sands for export, lower wages and worker protections around the world, increase human trafficking, end what we have left of internet freedom, inhibit access to lifesaving medicine by extending patent rights to big pharmaceutical companies, spur further financial deregulation, increase land grabs of indigenous territory, and more. The TPP would destroy the BDS movement, end buy-local and buy-America provisions, nullify any UN climate agreement, and set up rigged tribunals (that supersede even the US Supreme Court) for corporations to sue governments that pass laws or regulations that hurt their bottom line. The middle/working class, poor people, women, the lgbtq community, and people of color will be most impacted. The US Trade Representative's Office should not have the ability to create binding laws that harm the public in so many ways. In fact, it is illegal. As Dr. Margaret Flowers explains, the TPP, TTIP, and TiSA are treaties, not "trade agreements." She says that "avoiding the designation of treaty means that Congress can avoid stricter requirements for oversight and passage and instead rush the agreements through Congress using a process called Fast Track." The TPP is about more than any of these "issues." The TPP, along with two other treaties being negotiated, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), are essential tools of US empire and would be backed up by the US military. All three of these deals must be stopped so that we can begin to create the new world we so desperately need.

Definitely not saying you are wrong, but have you actually read this 29 chapter trade deal ?

Could you provide a link so we can read what it says. Thanks.

[DeepInTheForest]

After five years of secret talks, the twelve countries involved in the TPP negotiations reached an agreement. The deal was written by corrupt trade ministers and hundreds of corporate lobbyists without public (or even US Congressional) input. It is much more than a trade deal-- only 5 of the 29 chapters even deal with trade. The rest of the deal is about privatizing government programs and services for corporate profits, removing government regulations, and setting protections for multinational corporations and investors rather than the health of the planet or necessities of people. The TPP is a corporate power grab that impacts every aspect of people's lives. If passed, it would take away environmental and food safety protections, increase US development of fracked gas and tar sands for export, lower wages and worker protections around the world, increase human trafficking, end what we have left of internet freedom, inhibit access to lifesaving medicine by extending patent rights to big pharmaceutical companies, spur further financial deregulation, increase land grabs of indigenous territory, and more. The TPP would destroy the BDS movement, end buy-local and buy-America provisions, nullify any UN climate agreement, and set up rigged tribunals (that supersede even the US Supreme Court) for corporations to sue governments that pass laws or regulations that hurt their bottom line. The middle/working class, poor people, women, the lgbtq community, and people of color will be most impacted. The US Trade Representative's Office should not have the ability to create binding laws that harm the public in so many ways. In fact, it is illegal. As Dr. Margaret Flowers explains, the TPP, TTIP, and TiSA are treaties, not "trade agreements." She says that "avoiding the designation of treaty means that Congress can avoid stricter requirements for oversight and passage and instead rush the agreements through Congress using a process called Fast Track." The TPP is about more than any of these "issues." The TPP, along with two other treaties being negotiated, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), are essential tools of US empire and would be backed up by the US military. All three of these deals must be stopped so that we can begin to create the new world we so desperately need.

Definitely not saying you are wrong, but have you actually read this 29 chapter trade deal ?

Could you provide a link so we can read what it says. Thanks.

If only that were possible, Ulic.

The text of the agreement is secret, which is perhaps its most infuriating and ominous feature.

The negotiations have gone on for five years. No one except the 500 core corporate negotiators has been able to have access to the text. Even the US Congress, which passed a fast-track bill-- which means that the US Congress has only yes-or-no input on any trade agreement for the next five years -- has at this time only limited access to the text. For most of the years of negotiation, the Congress, like the rest of the world, has been entirely in the dark.

You might ask yourself what kind of trade agreement will be created by 500 corporate officials. If we think that such a body will produce a result that will be in the interests of the common person, well, we are kidding ourselves. There is no committee that represents the public in terms of protecting the environment, labor rights, or even human rights. Civil groups, civil society, the average citizen are entirely shut out. Assurances are always given. In my view, sgtsabai is entirely on target with his post. One of the most odious clauses that may be included deals with the right of corporations to sue national governments if their access to profits is impacted by legislation. You can imagine what this might lead to-- a mining company may be able to override environmental concerns of citizens, GMO foods may be foisted on a country that doesn't wish to allow them in, etc. Again, we have no real idea what the wording of the agreement says.

What we do know of the TPP comes only from leaks. Wikileaks has published several docs since 2013, including the chapter on intellectual property rights. (However, there are something like 26 chapters to the agreement, and the leaks comprise only a small portion.)

https://wikileaks.org/tpp/

Interestingly, the US's biggest ally in the TPP negotiations, as of 2013, was Australia. https://wikileaks.org/US-Australia-isolated-in-TPP.html

There is a chapter on environment, but it appears to be a fig leaf-- there are no provisions for meaningful enforcement. https://wikileaks.org/tpp-enviro/pressrelease.html

Wikileaks also provides a text of this chapter; you can find it on their website.

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement which gutted the Mexican rural economy and is often fingered as being responsible for the rise of the drug cartels, was similarly passed under the aegis of fast-track in December 1993 and began operation on January 1, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement#Negotiation_and_U.S._ratification

Jane Kelsey talks about the tribunals that will rule on trade matters in the link below.

Edited October 6, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[Loptr]

"...and there are fears it may result in job losses..."

They always say that and it is never born out.

Really?

The labor force participation rate falls to a 38-year low

http://www.businessinsider.com/labor-force-participation-rate-falls-to-38-year-low-2015-7

[DeepInTheForest]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

Do I smell some anti-gay bigotry?

Yes, and a stupid straw-man argument. What in the world the struggle for the right to marry has to do with the trans-Pacific trade deal is beyond me.

[HooHaa]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

Do I smell some anti-gay bigotry?

no, im very pro gay rights and marriage, but i suspect it was offered up cynically as a distraction from other issues. take a look at the news, at about the time this strangely secret multi national trade pact was leaked to the press it received almost no coverage despite the US governments efforts to fast track it without debate or public review, the white house was bathed in rainbow light and gay pride had commandeered the news.

I participated in gay pride, but not to the exclusion of all else.

nice try though.

[HooHaa]

After five years of secret talks, the twelve countries involved in the TPP negotiations reached an agreement. The deal was written by corrupt trade ministers and hundreds of corporate lobbyists without public (or even US Congressional) input. It is much more than a trade deal-- only 5 of the 29 chapters even deal with trade. The rest of the deal is about privatizing government programs and services for corporate profits, removing government regulations, and setting protections for multinational corporations and investors rather than the health of the planet or necessities of people. The TPP is a corporate power grab that impacts every aspect of people's lives. If passed, it would take away environmental and food safety protections, increase US development of fracked gas and tar sands for export, lower wages and worker protections around the world, increase human trafficking, end what we have left of internet freedom, inhibit access to lifesaving medicine by extending patent rights to big pharmaceutical companies, spur further financial deregulation, increase land grabs of indigenous territory, and more. The TPP would destroy the BDS movement, end buy-local and buy-America provisions, nullify any UN climate agreement, and set up rigged tribunals (that supersede even the US Supreme Court) for corporations to sue governments that pass laws or regulations that hurt their bottom line. The middle/working class, poor people, women, the lgbtq community, and people of color will be most impacted. The US Trade Representative's Office should not have the ability to create binding laws that harm the public in so many ways. In fact, it is illegal. As Dr. Margaret Flowers explains, the TPP, TTIP, and TiSA are treaties, not "trade agreements." She says that "avoiding the designation of treaty means that Congress can avoid stricter requirements for oversight and passage and instead rush the agreements through Congress using a process called Fast Track." The TPP is about more than any of these "issues." The TPP, along with two other treaties being negotiated, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), are essential tools of US empire and would be backed up by the US military. All three of these deals must be stopped so that we can begin to create the new world we so desperately need.

Definitely not saying you are wrong, but have you actually read this 29 chapter trade deal ?

Could you provide a link so we can read what it says. Thanks.

the deal has been carefully shielded from the public and the few specific details out there were leaked. this is a part of the problem, the fastrack process allows for no public review and the the pact is written by politicians and corporate lobbyists.

[HooHaa]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

Do I smell some anti-gay bigotry?

Yes, and a stupid straw-man argument. What in the world the struggle for the right to marry has to do with the trans-Pacific trade deal is beyond me.

i have explained before, details of the trade pact were leaked during the announcement of gay marriage and gay pride and uptake on that event pushed any hope of discussion of the TPP right off the front page where it belonged.

You know where you can put your accusations of bigotry and your straw man.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

this is what your governments were doing while you were celebrating gay marriage in the states and changing your facebook profile picture to a rainbow filter.

Do I smell some anti-gay bigotry?

Yes, and a stupid straw-man argument. What in the world the struggle for the right to marry has to do with the trans-Pacific trade deal is beyond me.

i have explained before, details of the trade pact were leaked during the announcement of gay marriage and gay pride and uptake on that event pushed any hope of discussion of the TPP right off the front page where it belonged.

You know where you can put your accusations of bigotry and your straw man.

I guess we know, being pro gay marriage as well...

The real culprit is not the gay marriage news coverage,this deal is on track for more than a year, but the lack of interest from the general public and the absence of news coverage by all the medias...

Edited October 7, 2015 by GeorgesAbitbol

[Publicus]

USA is negotiating trade agreements that would open markets in democracies with market economies totaling 2 billion people, nearly two-thirds of global GDP and 65% of global trade.

Trans Pacific Partnership involves 11+1 (Vietnam) countries on four continents, the Trans-Atlantic Investment and Trade Economic Partnership involves the 28 countries of the European Union, and the separate Trade in Services Agreement is with 22 countries that involve 50% of global GDP and 70% of global services trade.

Opponents of these agreements also opposed the prior US membership of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which then became the World Trade Organization (WTO). Opponents of global trade also tend to oppose global organisations in general, such as the United Nations or many of its programs, goals, purposes.

The president's fast track trade agreement authority approved by vote of the Congress does march these agreements through the normal congressional processes and votes. The Senate filibuster for instance is ruled out of the process. Congress on the other hand has authority to implement provisions of a trade agreement or not implement them. Public reports are also required stating in detail the agreement's impact and effect.

The stuff floating at the surface to make America great again is complete crap. USA is continually busy not only keeping itself ahead of the curve of the global economy and financial systems, but in fact defining the shape and the length of the curve itself.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Publicus

[Eirene]

So I gather that you are the author of this article? http://portside.org/2015-10-06/tpp-agreement-reached-not-done-deal

After five years of secret talks, the twelve countries involved in the TPP negotiations reached an agreement. The deal was written by corrupt trade ministers and hundreds of corporate lobbyists without public (or even US Congressional) input. It is much more than a trade deal-- only 5 of the 29 chapters even deal with trade. The rest of the deal is about privatizing government programs and services for corporate profits, removing government regulations, and setting protections for multinational corporations and investors rather than the health of the planet or necessities of people. The TPP is a corporate power grab that impacts every aspect of people's lives. If passed, it would take away environmental and food safety protections, increase US development of fracked gas and tar sands for export, lower wages and worker protections around the world, increase human trafficking, end what we have left of internet freedom, inhibit access to lifesaving medicine by extending patent rights to big pharmaceutical companies, spur further financial deregulation, increase land grabs of indigenous territory, and more. The TPP would destroy the BDS movement, end buy-local and buy-America provisions, nullify any UN climate agreement, and set up rigged tribunals (that supersede even the US Supreme Court) for corporations to sue governments that pass laws or regulations that hurt their bottom line. The middle/working class, poor people, women, the lgbtq community, and people of color will be most impacted. The US Trade Representative's Office should not have the ability to create binding laws that harm the public in so many ways. In fact, it is illegal. As Dr. Margaret Flowers explains, the TPP, TTIP, and TiSA are treaties, not "trade agreements." She says that "avoiding the designation of treaty means that Congress can avoid stricter requirements for oversight and passage and instead rush the agreements through Congress using a process called Fast Track." The TPP is about more than any of these "issues." The TPP, along with two other treaties being negotiated, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), are essential tools of US empire and would be backed up by the US military. All three of these deals must be stopped so that we can begin to create the new world we so desperately need.