Negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement continued on Wednesday in Santiago, Chile. Negotiators from the TPP countries continued their discussions on goods market access, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade (TBT), environment, legal and institutional issues and intellectual property, and began discussions on investment, e-commerce, rules of origin and capacity building. In addition, negotiators took part in several seminars designed to facilitate communication with public and private sector stakeholders.
Labor delegations joined in a seminar on Chilean Labor Law and Practice, in which Chilean experts from government, trade unions, and industry presented information on the application and enforcement of Chilean labor laws, inspection procedures, and administrative and judicial institutions. Similar exchanges, which help to inform the negotiations on labor provisions, have taken place in other countries on their labor laws during previous negotiating rounds.
TPP experts on sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures also took part in a seminar focused on electronic certification and risk-based inspection programs in their respective countries. Presentations were made by regulatory officials from Australia, Chile and the United States.
Finally, the TBT negotiating group participated in a seminar that addressed technical barriers to trade in a range of areas, including the organic sector.
All seminars were well-attended by government officials and non-governmental stakeholders from industry and civil society.
