What is the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership)?
A regional trade free-trade agreement now (October 2015) under consideration by the participating governments of the USA, Japan, Canada, Chile, Singapore, Peru, Brunei, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam. It is partly a response to China’s effort to sponsor a regional trade agreement, but the TPP is a “higher quality” agreement than most, meaning it requires the participating countries to make deeper (and more politically painful) commitments, and it also goes beyond the usual areas and includes investment, environment protection and intellectual property rights. If enough of the original 12 prospective members ratify the agreement to make it viable, other governments will be able to join the TPP in the future if they can meet its standards.
