The Trans-Pacific Partnership explained - Vox.com

[Bill USA]

... I guess nobody needs to be told this TPP is not a simple issue. I thought Vox did a good job explaining it, without getting too far into the technical weeds... as they say.


http://www.vox.com/cards/trans-pacific-partnership

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement among countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, including the United States, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and Chile. Negotiations on the treaty were completed in October 2015, and the treaty was released to the public in early November.

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-2pZ0tbzXqmBasLDiRI1EfhaSMg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3687810/tpp_countries.0.0.png


This map from the Congressional Research Service shows the countries that are parties to the TPP and the volume of US trade with each of them. The TPP is expected to reduce trade barriers among these countries, lowering tariffs on goods such as trucks, rice, and textiles.

But it would do a lot of other things, too. The agreement could require countries to adopt stricter labor and environmental rules, provide stronger legal protections to drug companies, lengthen the term of copyright protection, give foreign investors a new way to challenge countries' laws and regulations, and much more.

In short, modern trade deals like the TPP are about a lot more than just trade. They've become one of the major ways the world hashes out the rules of the global economy. And that's a big reason the deal has become controversial. For example, digital rights groups and global health advocates who are not normally focused on trade issues have warned that the deal could negatively impact digital innovation and the global effort to combat AIDS, among other things.
(more)

[Angry Dragon]

1. kick this hard

[bbgrunt]

2. K and R!

[msongs]

3. first purge anything the reduces or eliminates citizen/local/state/sovereignty giving corporations

legal superiority

[psychmommy]

4. Not mentioned was the act of driving down wages in the US.

Taking away what little manufacturing we have left in this country because it will be performed by low wage workers with no health benefits or pensions or unions. We will have to be bound by environmental agreements made by whatever multinationals created this piece of crap. Our water and air pollution standards will be set by them. If we attempt to change them we will be fined excessively. The us could afford that but the smaller, poorer countries sure can't.
i don't want to give over the power of our vote to multinational companies telling me that our quality is great and our air isn't polluted.
This article tries to whitewash TPP but it is so bad they can't. Don't be fooled. This is all about multinational companies trashing our planet and taking away our power to speak against them.