Transpacific free trade agreement remains elusive

Trade ministers left Hawaii on Friday without concluding a TPP deal because several countries held out to protect specific domestic industries like pharmaceuticals, automobiles and agriculture from competition.    Trade officials from a dozen countries failed to finalize a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement during meetings in Hawaii that concluded Friday, but said that “significant” progress had been made.
   Remaining differences among the Pacific Rim countries in Asia and the Americas included pharmaceuticals, automobiles and agriculture, according to news accounts.
   A group of manufacturing and business interests, including the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman before the talks concluded, urging the United States not to compromise on high standards for trade liberalization and not to give breaks to certain industries.
   “[I]t is imperative that all parties recognize that carving out particular products or sectors from core provisions is not a recipe for a successful TPP or for future trade agreements,” the letter said. “To produce a strong agreement that will propel economic growth and prosperity, the high standards that the TPP should put in place to protect property and innovation and promote the rule of law should be ones that are applied without discrimination.” 
   Ministers pledged to remain engaged to secure the free trade agreement that has been under negotiation for six years.
   Business groups looked on the bright side and said they welcomed the progress made so far.
   “While we are disappointed that a final, comprehensive and high-standard TPP could not be reached this week, we are hopeful this latest round of talks has identified areas of further agreement and that plans are underway to overcome roadblocks that will allow the TPP parties to finalize the strongest possible agreement in the near future,” Linda Dempsey, vice president of international economic affairs at NAM, said in a statement. 
   “From the beginning, manufacturers have been loud and clear on the TPP: a strong agreement must embrace priorities that will fuel manufacturing growth in the United States, including through concrete new market access, the protection of intellectual property, provisions to enable e-commerce and a level playing field, fair treatment and strong property and investment protection standards, all of which must be enforceable for all industries.”
   Reporting by Politico noted that the delay could thrust the trade issue into the presidential campaign and make ratification by Congress less likely.