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Will Malaysia
Enter TPP Talks?
The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) which currently comprised the
US, Singapore, Chile, Australia, Peru as well as New Zealand,
Brunei and Vietnam is reported to have made further progress (see report
below).
Given the stalled negotiations in the
US-Malaysia FTA, Malaysia
is exploring the possibility of joining the TPP.
If Malaysia
wishes to be part of the bloc it will have to be prepared to enter negotiations
by early 2011.
Best wishes,
Third World Network
2-1, Jalan 31/70A
Desa Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2300
2585
Fax: +603-2300
2595
email: twnkl@po.jaring.my
websites: www.twnside.org.sg, www.ftamalaysia.org
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Dow Jones Newswires
US Trade Official: Ready To Draft Text For Pacific Trade Deal
Oficial de Comercio de EE.UU.: Listo Para Proyecto de texto
para acuerdo comercial del Pacífico
By Tom Barkley
JUNE 23, 2010
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. and seven other countries negotiating
a new free-trade bloc in the Asia-Pacific region have made sufficient
progress to start drafting the core text of a deal by the next round
in October, a U.S. trade official said Wednesday.
The second round of negotiations, held in San
Francisco last week, settled
the key issue of how the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership would overlap
with existing free-trade deals, with the highest standard winning out
in any conflicts.
But the more-complicated task of sorting out the various market-opening
timelines for manufactured goods and agriculture will require further
discussions, the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
Negotiators plan to meet in August in Peru
to try to hash out a deal on market access.
The U.S.
would like to preserve the access plans in the existing trade deals,
viewing the development of a new schedule as overly complicated, the
official said.
The partnership would bring together four countries that already have
free-trade deals with the U.S.--Singapore,
Chile,
Australia
and Peru--with
New Zealand,
Brunei
and Vietnam.
Overall, the official described round two as "very successful,"
with progress made on all fronts.
The pace of talks means any other countries interested in becoming part
of the initial bloc would have to be at the table by early next year,
the official said. Canada
and Malaysia
have said they would explore the possibility of joining.
Most important to the Obama administration's hope of making its first
negotiated trade deal a "21st-century" agreement, enough consensus
existed on new issues like harmonizing regulations and supply systems
to move toward text. The administration plans to consult with Congress
and interest groups as it develops proposals on those cross-cutting
issues, the official said.
"Because this is the first time we've included them in an FTA,
we wanted to be kind of open about it and do it in an iterative way,"
the official said.
In a positive development for wary unions, there was also consensus
about exploring additional measures to spur job creation and preserve
the environment, including improving cooperation beyond the agreement,
the official said.
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