Business groups back TPP
Business groups at the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks have got in behind the negotiations.
Business groups at the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks have got in behind the negotiations.
Groups including the the Foreign Trade Association of Peru, the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), the New Zealand US Council, the Singapore Business Federation, the US Business Coalition for TPP, the US Chamber of Commerce and the US National Center for APEC have urged negotiators meeting in Chicago to work towards agreement on a package of proposals that can be announced at the APEC meeting in Honolulu in November.
“TPP is a complex undertaking but after eight rounds of TPP negotiations it is clear that progress is being made,” Calman Cohen, president of ECAT said.
“While substance should drive the negotiating agenda, we believe the Honolulu APEC meeting should be used to reaffirm a number of key deliverables from TPP, as well as clarify the timetable for negotiation in 2012.”
Stephen Jacobi, executive director of the New Zealand US Council said the TPP had the potential to be the next step on the path towards a free trade area of Asia Pacific, if it can deliver on its promise as a new generation agreement while addressing the needs of business, as well as responding to the concerns of stakeholders.
“All of us have issues we would like to see advanced in the negotiation. We will continue to advocate these to our own governments,” Mr Jacobi said.
“We are all agreed on the overarching vision. We urge those economies interested in joining TPP to ensure they can meet the high expectations of TPP membership.”
One of the criteria the business groups were agreed on was that the TPP should be a high quality, comprehensive agreement with no product exclusions and flexible rules of origin, he said.
Colin Williscroft
Fri, 09 Sep 2011
Fri, 09 Sep 2011
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Business groups back TPP
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