[CTC] TPP Top Obama Priority

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Extended version of yesterday’s short article…

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826



Washington Trade Daily
Volume 24, Number 242 Frid ay, December 4, 2015
 
TPP Top Obama Priority
Getting Congressional approval of the TransPacific Partnership will be a top White House
priority for 2016 – a fact that will be reflected on President Obama’s calendar, National Economic
Council Director Jeffrey Zients said yesterday (WTD, 12/3/15).
 
The Administration is determined to see Congress vote on the TPP next year and both the
President and his Cabinet will be out pushing for its approval, the White House official told members of
the President’s Export Council.
 
It will be a “tough battle” to win Congressional support, but US Trade Representative Michael
Froman said he is “convinced at the end of the day we will have the necessary support.” Mr. Froman
said he already is spending considerable time on Capitol Hill explaining the agreement to members.
 
Both sides of the political aisle have problems with the agreement, PEC member and new House
Ways and Means trade subcommittee chairman Dave Reichert (R-Wash) commented. TPP is going to
be a “tougher” vote than Trade Promotion Authority, which Congress passed earlier this year, he said.
 
The Administration will probably lose around 15 votes on the Republican side just over the provision
exempting tobacco control provisions from the TPP’s dispute settlement mechanism, he added. But Mr.
Reichert said he believes the Administration can address many concerns and get the votes needed to
implement the TPP because the agreement is so important.
 
But House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc) did not endorse the TPP in what was hailed as his first
major policy speech yesterday. The Speaker strongly emphasized the need for trade agreements, saying
the United States will not be able to sell its goods competitively without them. But he added that “before
we sign up for any agreement, we have to make sure it is a fair deal – I’m thinking of the TransPacific
Partnership in particular.”
 
Other Issues
 
At the PEC meeting, Mr. Froman also updated members on the status of other trade
negotiations:
 
! Finishing the TPP has given “new energy” to the ongoing TransAtlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership agreement with the European Union. Mr. Froman said he will be heading to
Europe next week to discuss the status of the negotiations. Despite increased momentum in the talks,
Mr. Froman said there needs to be “more progress” at the negotiating table.
 
! Negotiations with China on a Bilateral Investment Treaty are making progress on both
the underlying text and the negative list – although there is a “substantial way to go” on the latter.
 
! With the World Trade Organization’s Nairobi ministerial only two weeks away, it
remains unclear what the likely outcome will be. The United States is hoping there will be a consensus
on how to deal with some of the outstanding issues from the unfinished Doha Road – but also would like
to see agreement on new issues that will take the WTO into a new phase.
 
! Progress is being made on implementation of the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement
and in ongoing negotiations on an updated Information Technology Agreement, Environmental Goods
Agreement and Trade in Services Agreement.
 
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said “very complicated” negotiations continue with the EU
on a new data privacy Safe Harbor agreement. Both sides recognize the importance of getting an
agreement by the January deadline, but she acknowledged finding a solution is proving challenging. A
US negotiating team will be traveling to Brussels next week to continue the discussions.
 
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