[CTC] TPP Countries Aiming To Publish Final Agreement Text Later This Week

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Inside US Trade
TPP Countries Aiming To Publish Final Agreement Text Later This Week
Posted: November 03, 2015

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are aiming to make public the final agreement text before the end of this week, after making more progress than expected at a drafting session that wrapped up in Tokyo at the end of October, according to informed sources.

One source close to the negotiations said he now expected the text to be released on Friday (Nov. 6) because the outstanding issues had been worked out more quickly than expected. As a result, this source said he no longer believes that additional drafting sessions will be needed after the Tokyo meeting, despite having predicted last week that would be the case. 

The text that will be publicly released is not expected to be <http://insidetrade.com/node/150651> the final legally scrubbed text, although TPP governments will likely want to ensure it is as close to the final text as possible so that opponents cannot point to changes made at the last minute. 

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest did not provide a specific timeline for the release of the TPP text, when pressed to do so during a Nov. 2 press briefing. “We're hoping to be able to release it as soon as possible,” he said. Asked whether there was any particular holdup, Earnest said he had not been briefed on “any concerns about finalizing the document,” but stressed that it has been an “arduous task” and that officials are still working on it.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week said the change in government in Canada <http://insidetrade.com/node/150826> may hold up the release of the final TPP text as the incoming Liberal Party is briefed on the contents of the deal – a sentiment that administration officials had previously expressed privately. The new Canadian government will be sworn in on Nov. 4.
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