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The Trumping of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Medium (2016)
  • Matthew Rimmer, Queensland University of Technology
Abstract
With the victory of Donald Trump, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has literally been trumped.
As a Presidential candidate, Barack Obama came to power, promising to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As a President, a centrepiece of his administration was the proposal for the TPP, a trade agreement spanning the Pacific Rim. He argued that the trade agreement was essential for the economic and political power of the USA.
The TPP was also ambitious in terms of its membership. The agreement included NAFTA countries such as the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The deal involved Australasian nations, like Australia and New Zealand. The TPP also included South-East Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Japan. The TPP also covered a couple of Latin American countries such as Chile and Peru. Notably, the TPP excluded members of the BASIC/ BRICS group — such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Russia. Despite its name, the TPP also ignored Pacific Island states. The political geography of the TPP was largely determined by alliances with the USA.
The TPP was sweeping in terms of its subject matter. As well as traditional matters of trade, the agreement also contained extensive prescriptive obligations in respect of intellectual property and investment. The agreement included an extensive Intellectual Property chapter, with provisions on copyright law, trademark law, patent law, and biologics. The TPP also enshrined a controversial Investor-State Dispute Settlement regime (ISDS). Such a regime would enable corporations to challenge government decision-making in investment arbitration tribunals. The agreement also contained weak protections in respect of public health, the environment, and labor rights.
As a result of its breadth of membership, and the scope of its subject matter, the TPP was highly unstable. The agreement collapsed in the wake of the 2016 United States elections. With the collapse of the TPP, the debate over trade amongst Pacific Rim nations will shift to other arenas and fora.
Keywords
  • Trans-Pacific Partnership,
  • Barack Obama,
  • Donald Trump,
  • United States,
  • Australia,
  • New Zealand,
  • Canada
Publication Date
November 19, 2016
Citation Information
Matthew Rimmer, ‘The Trumping of the Trans-Pacific Partnership’, Medium, 19 November 2016, https://medium.com/@DrRimmer/the-trumping-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership-c6161faec458#.7y3n8umb7