The document discusses the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which involves nine countries across three continents with diverse economic levels. It notes that the TPP aims to create a "high quality, 21st century" trade agreement. Over nine rounds of negotiations have occurred since 2010. By November 2011, the broad outlines of the agreement were to be completed. The TPP seeks to liberalize trade in both goods and services, cover issues "behind the border," and go beyond existing bilateral agreements. It also aims to address new 21st century issues like supply chain management and regulatory coherence. Progress on the TPP remains uncertain as member countries work to complete the broad outlines by upcoming deadlines.

1. Deborah Elms
G1 Conference Tokyo
November 3, 2011
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2.  Nine countries, three continents, diverse levels
of economic development
◦ Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, United States, Vietnam
 “High quality, 21st century” agreement
 Accession clause
◦ Open to new members, especially from APEC
 Nine formal negotiating rounds held, starting
in March 2010
 “Broad outlines” due by November 2011 APEC
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3.  Substantial scope
◦ Including “behind the border” measures
 Depth
◦ Limited sensitivities
 Shared set of norms and commitments
 Beyond bilateral arrangements
◦ Address noodle bowl problems of overlapping PTAs
 Attractive to developed and developing
country members
 Note: 21st century, high quality has not been
defined by government negotiators
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5.  For market access in goods
◦ No exclusions, including sensitive products in
agriculture
◦ No special provisions for textiles
◦ Phase out of quantitative restrictions?
 Liberal Rules of Origin criteria
 In services
◦ Liberalize on basis of negative list
◦ Modest sensitivities allowed
◦ Even-move away from WTO modalities on services?
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6. Market Access Industrial Goods Agriculture
Textiles Technical Barriers to Rules of Origin
Trade
Sanitary, Phytosanitary Customs Cooperation Investment
Measures
Services Financial Services Telecommunications
E-Commerce Business Mobility Government
Procurement
Competition Intellectual Property Labor
Environment Capacity Building Trade Remedies
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7.  TPP members committed to including “new”
issues—21st century topics
 Five topics lumped (for now) into horizontal
basket
◦ Supply chain management
◦ Small and medium enterprise (SME) support
◦ Regulatory coherence
 May be addressed in individual chapters instead
◦ Competitiveness
◦ Development
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9.  APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Honolulu
◦ “Broad Outlines” Due
◦ Hard to say how close to completion
 Japanese announcement could seriously
upset apple cart
 Now that KORUS be approved on US side,
what next? What will Korea do vis-à-vis TPP?
 Other potential members?
◦ Procedure: bilateral meetings, full group
consensus, interim membership for 3 rounds only
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10.  TPP Research Network
◦ 21 members
 First book published in August 2012,
Cambridge University Press
 Run from Temasek Centre for Trade &
Negotiations (TFCTN)
 For further information, contact me at
isdelms@ntu.edu.sg
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