US Agriculture, Manufacturing sectors bite their nails over carve-outs, as Trans-Pacific Partnership talks reach 11th hour

August 2, 2015 |

In Washington, Hours before the latest Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiation round in Maui, Hawaii, concludes the Agriculture and manufacturing sectors, in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, called on the US  to focus on strong outcomes, “not lowest common denominator” tactics and to “keep weakening carve-outs out of final TPP deal”. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and members of the agriculture and business community sent  urging negotiators to bring home a high-standard outcome and cautioning them against agreeing to product and sector carve-outs from core standards. “[I]t is imperative that all parties recognize that carving out particular products or sectors from core provisions is not a recipe for a successful TPP or for future trade agreements,” the letter says. “To produce a strong agreement that will propel economic growth and prosperity, the high standards that the TPP should put in place to protect property and innovation and promote the rule of law should be ones that are applied without discrimination.”

Expected to cover 40 percent of the global economy, a strong, market-opening TPP could be the catalyst for expanded U.S.-manufactured exports and improved competitiveness for decades to come. Read more here.  Other signatories to the letter include the American Farm Bureau Federation, Emergency Committee for American Trade, National Foreign Trade Council and United States Council for International Business.

From the letter:

In particular, it is imperative that all parties recognize that carving out particular products or sectors from core provisions is not a recipe for a successful TPP or for future trade agreements. To produce a strong agreement that will propel economic growth and prosperity, the high standards that the TPP should put in place to protect property and innovation and promote the rule of law should be ones that are applied without discrimination. 

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Category: Policy

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