The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Threat to Democracy and Food Sovereignty

[TBF]

I got this paper from Food First today. It discusses the Trans-Pacific Partnership - very interesting information about our US "interests" in the South Pacific -


INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY
VOLUME 19 • NUMBER 2
SUMMER 2013

The Trans-Pacific Partnership:
A Threat to Democracy and Food Sovereignty

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), perhaps the world’s most ambitious free trade agreement,
is currently under negotiation. What began as a small regional free trade agreement has become
one of the primary tools in the United States’ geopolitical pivot towards the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement—negotiated in secrecy—will dramatically expand the rights of corporations over
those of food producers, consumers, workers and the environment. This Backgrounder outlines the
agreement’s assault on democracy and food sovereignty and examines the TPP’s likely impacts on
food and agriculture in Japan, the latest country to join negotiations.

What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) began as a trade agreement signed in 2005 between Brunei, New
Zealand, Chile and Singapore. Since then, seven more countries came on board: Australia, Canada,
Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Vietnam, the United States and, most recently, Japan. For the time being, South
Korea is not participating, despite pressure from Washington...

... The negotiating partners seek to reach an agreement in time for the October 2013 Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit in Indonesia—though this is highly unlikely to be achieved after Japan’s
entry. Considered the most ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the world, partners hope the
TPP will set the agenda for future World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. For the United
States, the agreement represents an expansion and deepening of its 19 existing bilateral and regional
FTAs and a strengthening of US influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Over 60 percent of US trade is
with APEC member nations, and 34 percent is with TPP partners. The US is particularly interested in
accessing markets in TPP countries for its agricultural products and financial services including banking
and insurance; streamlining and enforcing intellectual property rights; and placing limits on state-owned
enterprises. As the most powerful US ally in East Asia, Japan’s participation further strengthens US interest in the
TPP. While there is no existing US-Japan FTA, trade with Japan already accounts for 6% of total US goods
trade and 7% of total US services trade in 2011 ...

More here: http://www.foodfirst.org/sites/www.foodfirst.org/files/pdf/2013_Summer_Backgrounder_-_TTP.pdf

[msongs]

1. long term job security for MIC to protect US corporations as they ravage the planet nt

[TBF]

2. Yup.

I had heard the initial TPP and didn't know what it was all about - now I know.

My motto remains - open borders for people, closed borders for bananas.

[antigop]

3. According to Business Week, Hillary took a leading part in drafting the TPP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=67554

Thanks for posting.

[starroute]

4. There's also a trans-Atlantic equivalent in the works

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Not quite as far along, but same appalling objectives.

[blkmusclmachine]

5. I'm sure Obama can find a "bi-partisan" solution.

[TBF]

7. Bipartisan seems to be a synonym

for "lower wages" these days. I think we'll skip that ..

[Enthusiast]

6. We don't want the TPP! n/t