US Trade Representative Michael Froman will meet with his fellow trade ministers at a TPP summit from July 28-31 in Hawaii.

A recent research paper from the Peterson Institute for International Economics argues that the real benefit of any transatlantic agreement would come from eliminating non-tariff barriers such as regulatory disparities, especially on automobiles, for which regulatory costs amount to more than $20 billion annually.

In a recent letter to the Canadian ambassador to the US, twenty-one members of Congress urged Canada to resolve outstanding market access issues in the TPP, such as those pertaining to dairy. Without a new offer promising significant dairy access, Canada may be excluded from the final agreement.

“All EU trade deals provide four important guarantees for public services – on monopolies, on access to the market, on subsidies and on regulation. These ensure that EU governments remain entirely free to manage public services as they wish.”
Amidst public fear that TTIP will force EU governments to privatize as well as compromise their ability to regulate, the European Commission has released a brief on the guarantees protecting public services in EU trade agreements. (European Commission)

 

In a research paper presented to TTIP negotiators on Wednesday, Caroline Freund, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, argues that the real benefit of any transatlantic agreement would come from eliminating non-tariff barriers such as regulatory disparities, especially on automobiles. Not only are trade tariffs already very low on average between the United States and the European Union, but Freund also estimates that the regulatory costs involved in meeting different automobile standards across the Atlantic amount to more than $20 billion annually. (Wall Street Journal)

Marsilli is a global manufacturing solutions provider of coil/motor winding and assembly systems for the automotive, appliance, industrial, consumer, and RFID electronics industries.

In light of the European Parliament’s decision last month to postpone debate on a controversial TTIP resolution, Pieterjan Vangerven and Christophe Crombez of the London School of Economics analyze-based on who voted for the postponement-whether the final TTIP agreement will be able to pass muster in the Parliament. Despite deep divisions among the Parliament’s center-left bloc, they expect the final deal to pass with the help of MEPs who voted for the postponement last month. (London School of Economics)

According to Marjorie Chorlins, US Chamber of Commerce vice president for European affairs, a critical component of any transatlantic agreement will be its language regarding regulatory practices and cooperation. Chorlins recommends that the TTIP should require leaders to publish a regulatory agenda every year that lays out priorities for both the US and EU in order to identify areas for potential cooperation. (US Chamber of Commerce)

On Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

US Trade Representative Michael Froman has expressed optimism ahead of what could be the final TPP negotiating round later this month, saying that that twelve nations involved in negotiations are keen to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Given outstanding issues regarding market access and rules, negotiators may decide to reach a broad agreement first and then submit their final concessions later on. (Bloomberg)

Twenty-one members of Congress have signed a letter to Canadian Ambassador to the US Gary Doer urging him to press his government to resolve outstanding market access issues in the TPP, such as those pertaining to dairy. In light of Canada’s traditional unwillingness to seriously engage in market access discussions regarding its dairy trade, the letter suggests that the country may be excluded from the TPP if significant dairy access is not included in the final deal. (US Congress)

Two researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently evaluated whether strategic arguments for trade agreements like the TPP resonate with the US public. A survey they conducted in partnership with the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project at the College of William & Mary suggested that the answer may be “yes.” (Washington Post)

UK National Road Shows – June to December in the United Kingdom, hosted by the British American Business – More Information

EU Digital Single Market Conference – September 15 in Brussels, hosted by the Trans-Atlantic Business Council – More Information