Update on Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations in Brunei Darussalam
10/07/2010 - 10:45am
The nine Trans-Pacific Partnership countries (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States) continue to meet in Brunei Darussalam this week for a third round of TPP negotiations. In all, 24 negotiating groups will convene this week to discuss the full range of issues to be covered by the agreement.
As of Thursday, groups covering industrial goods, agriculture, textiles, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, services, investment, financial services, intellectual property and environment had met and made progress in all areas. Discussions also began on cross-cutting issues including promoting competitiveness, supply chain development, making it easier for small- and medium-sized enterprises to take advantage of the eventual Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and development, with teams exchanging proposals for further work in all areas.
As was the case with June’s U.S.-hosted TPP negotiating round in San Francisco, California, stakeholders have been welcomed on-site at the negotiations in Brunei, and many have participated in public seminars on sanitary and phytosanitary and environmental issues.
The TPP partners reached consensus on Malaysia's request to join the negotiations on Tuesday of this week, following which USTR Ron Kirk notified Congress of the Administration’s intent to include Malaysia in the ongoing negotiations. Visit www.ustr.gov/tpp to see these notification letters, and for complete information on U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Second Update on TPP Talks in Brunei
10/08/2010 - 12:07pm
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations continued in Brunei today with negotiating groups from the nine TPP countries (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States) holding meetings on agriculture, services, investment, government procurement, competition, environment, and labor. The groups focused on the objectives that they had set for this round: preparation of consolidated text and proposals for cooperation. Negotiations will continue through Saturday, with groups on telecommunications, e-commerce, textiles, customs, technical barriers to trade, and trade capacity building beginning Friday.
Government officials and business representatives joined on Thursday for a full-day seminar on labor, during which TPP delegations discussed their respective approaches to incorporating labor provisions in their trade agreements. During the seminar, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Lewis Karesh gave a presentation on the U.S. approach, focusing on labor provisions in U.S. trade agreements, the importance of respecting fundamental labor rights, and ways to ensure the effective enforcement of labor law. Other TPP delegations also gave presentations, including Brunei's Commissioner of Labor Hajah Rosliah Hasbollah, who discussed the administration and enforcement of labor law in Brunei.
The TPP partners reached consensus on Malaysia's request to join the negotiations on Tuesday of this week, following which USTR Ron Kirk notified Congress of the Administration’s intent to include Malaysia in the ongoing negotiations. Visit www.ustr.gov/tpp to see these notification letters, and for complete information on U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
