Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)
Submitted by James Love on 13. December 2010 - 17:37
The governments of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam and the United States are negotiating a multilateral free trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Canada and Mexico have been formally invited to join the negotiations, though they will not be permitted to see the text or participate in the negotiations until 90 days after USTR sends a notice to Congress about their entry to the negotiations. Their first entry into the negotiating room will be in December 2012, more than a year after their formal requests to join the negotiations.
NEW
- Leak of TPP text on copyright Limitations and Exceptions
- Members of Congress and Governors backing PhRMA/BIO, calling for 12 years data protection for biologic drugs in TPP
- KEI Comments to Federal Register Notice on Mexico, Canada Joining TPPA
The governments of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam and the United States are negotiating a multilateral free trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Canada and Mexico have been formally invited to join the negotiations, though they will not be permitted to see the text or participate in the negotiations until 90 days after USTR sends a notice to Congress about their entry to the negotiations. Their first entry into the negotiating room will be in December 2012, more than a year after their formal requests to join the negotiations.
The negotiations are being conducted with considerable secrecy, even though they address many issues of great interest to the general public. The Agreement will cover many topics, including intellectual property rights, the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs, and the rights of investors to sue states over policies and actions that impact their investments.
On June 26, 2011, KEI sent a letter to USTR addressing copyright, the primary focus of intellectual property chapter discussions during the San Diego round.
A copy of the letter is available here:
http://keionline.org/sites/default/files/TPP_Copyright_KEI2Weisel_26june2012.pdf
The consolidated intellectual property rights text for the TPPA is secret. There have been several partial leaks of the text, including the February 10, 2011 version of the U.S. proposals for the Intellectual Property Rights chapter.
10 February 2011, United States, Proposal for TPP IPR Chapter
Various Leaks of the Proposed Texts
- 13 June 2012, Investment Chapter
- 22 June 2011, United States, Proposal for Transparency Chapter - Annex on Transparency and Procedural Fairness for Healthcare Technologies
- September 2011, United States, Proposal for Selected Provisions of Intellectual Property Chapter [Placeholder Text]
- 23 February 2011, New Zealand, TPP Text Intellectual Property Chapter
- 23 February 2011, Chile, TPP Submission: Preliminary Considerations for TPP IP Chapter
- 10 February 2011, United States, Proposal for TPP IPR Chapter
- 4 March 2010, United States, Proposal for Regulatory Coherence Chapter
- 4 March 2010, United States, Proposal for TBT Annexes on Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical Products and Cosmetic Products
Government Websites, Documents and Statements Regarding TPP
- 19 June 2012, USTR Press Release, U.S. Trade Representative Kirk Welcomes Canada as a New Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiating Partner
- 18 June 2012, USTR Press Release, U.S. Trade Representative Kirk Welcomes Mexico as a New Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiatnig Partner
- 12 November 2011, USTR, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers’ Report to Leaders
- 12 November 2011, USTR, Fact Sheet on TPP (pdf)
- November 2011 APEC Summit
- 2011 APEC Ministerial Statement
- 2011 APEC Leaders' Declaration
- APEC 2011 USA (official website for the summit)
- 4 December 2010, New Zealand Negotiating Paper on TPP, IP rights Chapter
- Australia website on TPP Negotiations, including public submissions on TPP
- Brunei website on TPP
- Chile, Evaluation of P4 (predecessor to TPP), in Spanish
- Malaysia website on TPP
- New Zealand website on TPP
- USTR website on TPP
Letters on TPP
- 6 September 2012, Members Of Congress Demand USTR Open Up On TPP
- 22 May 2012, Waxman Welcomes Release of United States Trade Representative's Trans-Pacific Partnership Tobacco Proposal
- 9 May 2012, MN Fair Trade Coalition, Sen. Al Franken Urges Transparency on The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
- 5 December 2012, Senator Sanders calls for better trade policy on access to medicines and public release of TPPA text
- 19 October 2011, Four Congressional Democrats Write USTR Ron Kirk on the TPP and Access to Medicines
- Civil Society Letters Requesting Transparency
- 18 October 2011, U.S. Civil Society to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Requesting Transparency
- 17 October 2011, Malaysian Civil Society to TPP Negotiators
- 14 October 2011, New Zealand Civil Society to Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key
- 14 October 2011, Peruvian Civil Society to Minister of International Trade José Luis Silva Martinot
- 13 October 2011, Australian Civil Society to Minister for Trade Craig Henderson
Civil Society Comments and Websites on TPP
- 11 December 2012, KEI, KEI notes on the 15th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations in Auckland, New Zealand
- 1 December 2012, KEI, The US Proposal for IP Enforcement in the TPPA and Impacts for Developing Countries
- 14 September 2012, Public Citizen, Reporting from the TPP Negotiations: You Call This "Engagement?"
- 6 September 2012, Amnesty International, TPP Must Not Trade Away Free Speech and Health
- 5 September 2012, Carolina Rossini, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Congress Members Demand USTR Tell the American People What's Going on With the TPP and its Impact on Digital Freedom
- 29 August 2012, Sandra Fulton, American Civil Liberties Union, The Biggest Threat to Free Speech and Intellectual Property That You’ve Never Heard Of
- 14 June 2012, Public Citizen, While Battle against ACTA Rages, next Clash aganist TPP Looms on the Horizon
- 8 May 2012, Citizens Trade Campaign, Coalition demands transparency in Trans-Pacific trade negotiations
- 20 March 2012, KEI, Wyden files legislative amendments to require transparency in TPPA and Congressional approval for ACTA
- 12 March 2012, KEI, KEI Notes From the Eleventh Round of TPPA negotaitions in Melbourne, Australia
- 14 November 2011, PIJIP, TPP Negotiators Release Joint Report at Honolulu APEC Summit; USTR Releases Outline, InfoJustice.
- 28 October 2011, KEI, KEI notes from the Ninth Round of TPPA negotiations
- 18 September 2011, KEI, KEI notes from Eighth Round of TPPA Negotiations
- 31 August 2011, KEI, KEI comments on inconsistencies between USTR proposal for the TPPA and current US law
- 5 July 2011, KEI, USTR New Exclusive Right for Copyright Holders: Importation Provision in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)
- 27 June 2011, KEI, Notes from the Seventh Round of TPPA Negotiations in Vietnam
- 19 June 2011, KEI, Right to Privacy in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP ) Negotiations
- 16 June 2011, Public Citizen, Vietnam and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
- 18 May 2011, KEI, Civil Society on transparency, public health in TPPA
- 22 March 2011, KEI, UN Rapporteur for the right to health asked to intervene in TPP negotiations
- 10 March 2011, KEI, The complete Feb 10, 2011 text of the US proposal for the TPP IPR chapter
- 4 January 2011, Public Knowledge, ACTA the Sequel: The Transpacific Partnership Agreement
- 17 June 2010, CPATH Power Point on TPP
- EFF, Don't Let TPP Become the New ACTA: Contact Your Lawmakers and Demand Transparency
- International IP and the Public Interest: Open Access and Information Justice, website on TPP
- Public Citizen website on TPP negotiations
- Third World Network, Info Service on FTAs
Press Coverage and Other Commentary
- 15 September 2012, Dough Palmer, "Momentum" but no deadline in Trans-Pacific trade talks - U.S., Reuters
- 13 September 2012, Occupy the TPP: Civil Disobedience Actions Blockade Entrance to Site of TPP Negotiations in VA, TruthOut.org
- 13 September 2012, James Murphy, Trans-Pacific Partnership is NAFTA on steroids, KJ Online
- 12 September 2012, Kevin Collier, The TPP: A firsthand look at the secret international talks that could change the internet, Daily Dot
- 6 September 2012, Dugie Standeford, US Congressional Push For Release Of TPP Text; US Pressuring Nations Bilaterally?
- 4 September 2012, Dan Kildee, The U.S. Can't Afford to Include Japan in the TPP, Huffington Post
- 30 August 2012, Mike Masnick, USTR Tells Public Interest Groups They Have 8 Minutes To Talk To TPP Negotiators, TechDirt
- 20 June 2012, William New, Canada, Mexico Tilt Weight West In Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks, IP Watch
- 19 June 2012, Jason Fekete, Secret documents show how hard Conservative government lobbied to get into TPP talks, Blogs.Canada.com
- 18 June 2012, Steven Chase and Bill Curry, Canada nears deal for entry into prized Pacific trade talks, The Globe and Mail
- 14 June 2012, Zach Carter, Obama Trade Document Leaked, Revealing New Corporate Powers And Broken Campaign Promises, Huffington Post
- 14 June 2012, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says it is unlikely the Government will support any special deal for Australia in a Trans-Pacific trade agreement, Radio NZ
- 12 June 2012, Tamlin H. Bason, Wyden, Issa Say Digital Bill of Rights Needed to Prevent New Versions of SOPA, Bloomberg BNA
- 11 June 2012, David Dayen, Trans-Pacific Partnership: Sherrod Brown Urges Transparency for “NAFTA for Asia”, Firedoglake
- 7 June 2012, Zach Carter, Obama Trade Deal Secrecy Insulting, According To Key Democrat, Huffington Post
- 1 June 2012, Zach Carter, U.S. Trade Position Protecting High Drug Prices Blasted By U.N. Agencies, Huffington Post
- 23 May 2012, Zach Carter, Trans-Pacific Partnership: Key Senate Democrat Joins Bipartisan Trade Revolt Against Obama, Huffington Post
- 14 May 2012, Yes Men punk TPP and US Trade Ambassador with fake "Corporate Power Tool Award," Boing Boing (with video)
- 8 May 2012, PhRMA, PhRMA Urges President Obama to Secure an Ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
- 3 May 2012, Zach Carter, Congress Revolts On Obama Plan That Would Ban 'Buy American,' Huffington Post
- 30 March 2012, Doug Palmer, U.S., Japan still mulling regional trade pact: Obama, Reuters
- 9 March 2012, Neena Bhandari, Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Reveals U.S.'s Unbridled Corporate Agenda, Inter Press Service
- 15 February 2012, Edward J. Black, Keeping SOPA Measures Out of Trade Agreements ACTA, TPP, Huffington Post
- 1 February 2012, Dave Thier, The TPP is the Next Battleground in the War Over the Internet, Forbes
- 1 February 2012, Victoria Bekiempis, Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership SOPA 2.0? Anonymous Says So, Village Voice
- 1 February 2012, Mike Masnick, Hollywood Gets to Party With TPP Negotiators; Public Interest Groups Get Thrown Out of Hotel, TechDirt
- 15 November 2011, Justin McCurry, Noda Pledge to Join Trans-Pacific Partnership, Voice of America
- 15 November 2011, Serious thought required on proposed trade deal, MENAFN
- 14 November 2011, Paul Eckert, Analysis: Obama's Pacific aspirations strain ties with China, Reuters
- 14 November 2011, Nevil Gibson, Tom toms beat for TPP, National Buisness Review
- 14 November 2011, Mitsuru Obe, Japan's Free-Trade Move Criticized, WSJ
- 14 November 2011, Boo Chanco, APEC: Still nothing after two decades, philSTAR
- 13 November 2011, Pablo Garibian and Rachelle Younglai, Canada, Mexico ask to join pan-Pacific trade talks, Reuters
- 14 November 2011, Parties concerned public being kept in dark over TPP, Radio New Zealand
- 13 November 2011, Stefanie Levitz, Canada wants in to new Asia Pacific trade pact but won't pre-negotiate: minister, Canadian Business
- 11 November 2011, Michael Janda, Trans-Pacific free trade stalled by US proposals, ABC
- 11 November 2011, Rx&D and MEDEC Applaud APEC Endorsement of Principles for Pharmaceutical Industry Code of Ethics, DigitalJournal
- 9 November 2011, G Vinod, Why so secretive about TPP trade talks?, Free Malaysia Today
- 8 November 2011, Trans-Pacific Partnership: Far-reaching agreement could form powerful new trade bloc, Financial Times
- 27 October 2011, US says trans-Pacific trade deal on track, AFP
- 24 October 2011, Julian Pecquet, Consumer groups: Obama more generous to Big Pharma in trade talks, The Hill
- 24 October 2011, Arbitrajes deben excluirse de los TLC, La República [In Spanish]
- 23 October 2011, Sam Varghese, US' TPPA proposals will raise PBS medicine prices, iTWire
- 23 October 2011, TLC y el nuevo gobierno: ¿hacia dónde vamos?, La República [In Spanish]
- 22 October 2011, Leaked Trans-Pacific FTA Texts Reveal U.S. Undermining Access to Medicine, Citizens Trade Campaign
- 22 October 2011, Abusan de los TLC para demandar al Estado, La República [In Spanish]
- 21 October 2011, Sam Varghese, TPPA 'threatens national sovereignty', iTWire
- 21 October 2011, Piden cautela en negociaciones del TPP [also], El Comercio [In Spanish]
- 21 October 2011, Nuevos TLC podrían repetir el caso DOE RUN, La República [In Spanish]
- 21 October 2011, Ollanta negocia nuevo TLC, Alerta Perú [In Spanish]
- 21 October 2011, Medicinas podrían encarecerse por crisis, La Primera [In Spanish]
- 5 October 2011, Zach Carter, New Trade Deal Would Benefit Big Pharma At AIDS Programs' Expense, Huffington Post
- 29 September 2011, Sam Varghese, US focus is on IP in TPPA talks, iTWire
- 28 September 2011, Zach Carter, Bill Daley's Big Pharma History: Drugs, Profits And Trade Deals, Huffington Post
- 14 September 2011, Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Shooting Itself In the Foot: The Broken Promises of the U.S. Trade Agenda, Huffington Post
- 5 September 2011, Michelle Chen, Labor Day Showdown: Can Advocates Stop 'NAFTA of the Pacific'?, Huffington Post
- 30 August 2011, Tony Dutra, ACTA, TPPA Opponents Cite Broken Promises On Medicines, One-Sided Copyright Provisions, BNA
- 26 August 2011, Rosemary D'Amour, Analysts Criticise Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, IPS
- 13 July, 2011, Vicki Needham, Republicans Split on Trade Tactics, The Hill
- 12 July 2011, Catherine Saez, Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Did US Move Threaten Public Health?, IP Watch
- 10 June 2011, Ed Silverman, Vermont Gov Slams US Trade Talks on Medicines, Pharmalot
- 8 June 2011, Pharmac trade row heralds wider threat, Radio NZ
- 17 May 2011, Vicki Needham, Senators want tough IP standards in that Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, The Hill
- 15 April 2011, Matthew Franklin, Cabinet split on free trade issue, The Australian
- 16 March 2011, More on the TPPA IP proposal -- aarrgghh even for an AUSFTA-burdened Australia, LawFont.com
- 16 March 2011, Rick Shera, US wants to take an axe to New Zealand IP law, Law Geek NZ
- 14 March 2011, Bernard Keane, US renews secret push to impose its failed copyright regime, Crikey
- 14 March 2011, Glyn Moody, Why We Should Care About the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Computer World UK
- 14 March 2011, Geraldine Juarez, TPPA: Mas Copyright, Mas Secretismo, Mas Filtraciones, Alt1040 [In Spanish]
- 14 March 2011, Sam Varghese, 'Piracy' Studies Part of a Bigger Game, iTWire
- 12 March 2011, Cory Doctrow, America fields "Son of ACTA" -- a new, sinister, secret copyright treaty, BoingBoing.
- 11 March 2011, Mike Masnick, US Proposals For Secret TPP 'Son of ACTA' Treaty Leaked; Chock Full of Awful Ideas, Tech Dirt
- 11 March 2011, Nate Anderson, Son of ACTA: meet the next secret copyright treaty, Ars Technica
- 11 March 2011, Michael Geist, U.S. Intellectual Property Demands for TPP Leak: Everything it Wanted in ACTA But Didn't Get
- 17 February 2011, Jane Kelsey, New leaks of TPP text show U.S. is playing hardball, TPP Watch
- 6 January 2011, Mike Masnick, Son of ACTA (But Worse): Meet TPP, The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, Tech Dirt.