The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic
Partnership Agreement

Ian F. Fergusson
Specialist in International Trade and Finance
Bruce Vaughn
Specialist in Asian Affairs
December 7, 2009
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R40502
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement

Summary
The economic and strategic architectures of Asia are evolving. One part of this evolving
architecture is the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP), a free trade
agreement that includes nations on both sides of the Pacific. The TPP, which originally came into
effect in 2006, currently includes Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. The United States,
Australia, Peru, and Vietnam have also expressed interest in joining. On November 14, 2009,
President Obama committed to engage with current and potential future members of the TPP to
shape a broad-based regional agreement.
Other architectures, such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Asia-Pacific
community initiative, and the East Asia Summit (EAS) have both economic and strategic aspects.
They can be grouped into two categories: (a) groupings that are Asia-centric in approach and
exclude the United States, and (b) those that are Trans-Pacific in nature and that include, or would
include, the United States and other Western Hemispheric nations. The TPP is one vehicle that
could be used to shape the U.S. agenda with the region.
Asia is viewed as of vital importance to U.S. trade and security interests. According to the U.S.
Trade Representative, the Asia-Pacific region is a key driver of global economic growth and
accounts for nearly 60% of global GDP and roughly 50% of international trade. Since 1990, Asia-
Pacific goods trade has increased 300% while there has been a 400% increase in global
investment in the region. The United States has pursued its regional trade interests both bilaterally
and through multilateral groupings such as APEC, which has linked the Western Hemisphere with
Asia. There appears to be a correlation between increasing intra-regional economic activity and
increasing intra-regional political and diplomatic cooperation. Many observers view the more
recent intra-Asian Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) plus three—China, Japan,
South Korea – and the ASEAN plus 6 [also known as the East Asia Summit]—China, Japan,
South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand—groups as having attracted more interest within the
region in recent years. The United States is not a member of either the EAS or the ASEAN plus
three group. President Obama has stated that the United States looks forward to engaging with the
East Asia Summit more formally.
China’s rapidly expanding economy and Japan’s developed economy have made them attractive
trading partners to many Asian nations. Many regional states also view the United States as
having been distracted by events in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years. This has led some to
increasingly look to China and Japan as key partners. China’s approach to the region has also
shifted dramatically in recent decades as it now pursues its interests with the region in a relatively
accommodative manner.
U.S. participation in the TPP would involve the negotiation of FTAs with New Zealand and
Brunei. The United States currently has FTAs in force with Chile and Singapore, and with
interested parties Australia and Peru. Bilateral negotiations with New Zealand may focus on
agricultural goods such as beef and dairy products. The possible inclusion of Vietnam may prove
controversial from the standpoint of certain U.S. industry groups, such as textiles and apparel, as
well as those concerned with human rights and intellectual property issues. The involvement of
Vietnam could add a higher level of difficulty and is illustrative of the challenges associated with
developing a truly Asia-Pacific-wide trade grouping. All the potential parties may face complex
negotiations in integrating the myriad FTAs that already exist between some TPP parties.
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Contents
Origins........................................................................................................................................ 1
Existing and Potential Membership ............................................................................................. 2
Some Congressional Reactions to the TPP................................................................................... 4
U.S. Objectives and Interests....................................................................................................... 5
Context with Other Regional Architectures.................................................................................. 5
A Comprehensive Trade Agreement ............................................................................................ 6
U.S. Trade with Current Trans-Pacific Partner Countries ....................................................... 7
Potential Controversies ............................................................................................................... 8
Agricultural Products ............................................................................................................ 8
Dairy .............................................................................................................................. 8
Beef ................................................................................................................................ 9
Other Issues .......................................................................................................................... 9
Intellectual Property Rights ............................................................................................. 9
Pharmaceuticals ............................................................................................................ 10
Government Procurement.............................................................................................. 10
Environment and Labor................................................................................................. 10
Trade Promotion Authority.................................................................................................. 11

Figures
Figure A-1. TPP States and Potential Additional Members........................................................ 13

Tables
Table 1. U.S. Goods Trade with TPP Countries, 2008 .................................................................. 7
Table 2. U.S. Private Services Trade with TPP Members, 2008.................................................... 8
Table A-1. U.S. Merchandise Trade with New Zealand 2008 ..................................................... 12

Appendixes
Appendix. U.S. Merchandise Trade with New Zealand, 2008 .................................................... 12

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 14

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The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement

Origins1
The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) was initially conceived in 2003 by
Singapore, New Zealand, and Chile as a path to trade liberalization in the Asia-Pacific region.
Brunei joined negotiations in 2005, and the TPP came into force in 2006. In March 2008, the
United States joined the negotiations to conclude the investment and financial services
provisions. The United States already has Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with TPP members
Singapore and Chile and with potential TPP partners Australia and Peru. The President notified
Congress of his intention to negotiate with the existing TPP members on September 22, 2008, and
with other potential members, Australia, Peru and Vietnam on December 30, 2008. It is now
expected that this group of eight countries will define an agreement that other states can sign on
to.2 The first meeting of the interested parties was expected to occur in Singapore in late March
2009, however, this meeting was postponed at the request of the United States in order to allow
Obama Administration officials time to take office and conduct a review of U.S. trade policy.3
On November 14, 2009, President Obama committed the United States to engage with the TPP
countries “with the goal of shaping a regional agreement that will have broad-based membership
and the high standards worthy of a 21st century trade agreement.”4 President Obama also stated in
his November 2009 Tokyo speech that,
the growth of multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of this
region. I know that the United States has been disengaged from these organizations in recent
years. So let me be clear: those days have passed. As an Asia Pacific nation, the United
States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region and to
participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve.
While some observers noted that the President did not explicitly commit the United States to join
the TPP negotiations, the same day, the Australian trade minister, Simon Crean, announced that
the first TPP negotiating session would take place in Australia among the eight countries early in
2010.5
Analysts, observers, and decision makers generally believe that the inclusion of United States
could act as a catalyst for other Asia-Pacific states to join. In this way, the TPP is viewed as a
potential building block to a larger Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).6 This move is

1 Background information for this report was derived from presentations made by Ambassador John Veroneau, Deputy
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Mariano Fernandez, Ambassador of Chile to the United States, Roy Ferguson,
Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States, and Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States
at a Pan-Pacific Forum “Energizing a Renewed Trans-Pacific Partnership,” on Thursday, November 6, 2008, as well as
Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Office of the USTR, Barbara Weisel and Jeffery Schott, Senior
Fellow, Petersen Institute for International Economics, “US Engagement in the Asia-Pacific: The Decision to Join the
Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership,” East West Center, October 30, 2008. Other Department of Defense and
Department of State officers, embassy officials, and public policy institution analysts were also consulted.
2 Simon Crean, “Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement,” Media Statement, November 14, 2009.
3 “US Delays TPP Talks to Allow Obama Cabinet Members to Take Office,” Inside US Trade, February 27, 2009.
4 Remarks of President Obama at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan, November 14, 2009.
5 USTR Likely to Negotiate TPP, Then Seek Expansion to Other Countries,” Inside U.S. Trade, November 20, 2009.
6 “The Trans-Pacific Partnership-Moving Forward,” Press Release of Australian Minister for Trade Simon Crean,
November 14, 2009.
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significant in that it will likely be seen as a U.S. policy response to the rapidly increasing
economic and strategic linkages among Asian states, some of which have excluded the United
States and the Americas in recent years.
Some observers believe the TPP membership will expand U.S. trade with Asia while
strengthening U.S. ties with the region. The United States remains a leading trade partner for
nearly all Asian states. Despite this, the relative importance of the United States as a trading
partner for many Asian states is declining. There is fear among some U.S. policy and trade
analysts that the United States runs the risk of being marginalized if it does not respond to the
proliferation of trade agreements that have emerged in Asia in recent years. By engaging in the
TPP, the United States may be seeking to change this dynamic, both by seeking to join this new
trading bloc and by shaping it to be consistent with already-existing comprehensive U.S. FTAs.
The declaration by the United States that it would engage in the TPP process comes at a time
when U.S. trade policy under President Obama remains under development. While the United
States has begun to engage with its trading partners in the World Trade Organization over the
ongoing Doha Round negotiations, agreement does not appear to be within reach. Also due to
various difficulties surrounding each of the pending FTAs with Colombia, Panama, and Korea ,
the administration has not yet chosen to bring them to Congress for consideration under trade
promotion authority. Given that the United States has comprehensive FTAs with four of the
potential TPP parties, and would be negotiating with New Zealand, which has a decidedly pro-
free trade outlook, negotiation of a TPP agreement may present the new administration with the
means to pursue a fresh trade strategy unencumbered by present trade controversies.
However, other trade analysts view the increasing web of bilateral and regional trade agreements
with suspicion. Critics assert that the emphasis on regional and bilateral negotiations undermines
the World Trade Organization (WTO) and increases the risk of trade diversion. Trade diversion
occurs when the existence of lower tariffs under a trade agreement causes trade to be diverted
away from a more efficient producer outside the trading bloc to a producer inside the bloc. What
also results from the plethora of negotiated FTAs is, according to one economist, “a ‘spaghetti
bowl’ of multiple tariffs depending on the source of a product and, in turn, a flood of rules of
origin to determine which source is to be assigned to a product.” 7
Existing and Potential Membership
As the United States entered into exploratory discussions to join Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and
Singapore in the TPP, then Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business
Affairs Daniel Sullivan stated his view that the TPP will likely expand its membership and “could
provide as one possible foundation for, and build momentum towards, a Free Trade Area of the
Asia-Pacific.”8 Sullivan also described the agreement as supporting U.S. interests in the areas of
“intellectual property rights, standards, transparency, labor rights, and the environment.”9

7 Jagdish Bhagwati, “From Seattle to Doha,” Foreign Affairs, December 2005.
8 Daniel Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, “The Administration’s
Focus on Promoting Free Trade and Enhancing U.S. Trade and Export Opportunities,” September 8, 2008.
9 Ibid.
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It is envisaged that the TPP will add members in successive tranches. On November 20, 2008,
Australia announced that it would participate in the TPP negotiations. Australian Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd has called for an Asia-Pacific community that would include the United States and
have a broad mandate that would include political, security, economic, and global issues such as
climate change.10 Former President Bush’s notification to Congress of December 30, 2008,
indicated that Australia, Peru, and Vietnam would also be potential negotiating partners. This
incremental approach to construct a comprehensive free trade agreement may make negotiations
for the entry of additional members more manageable. It is likely that Congress may wish to
consider or to examine the entry of future members.
Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore have all expressed their support for the inclusion of the
United States in the TPP as well as their desire that this will act as a catalyst for further expansion
of the TPP. Chile is a relatively isolated trade-dependent nation that is looking to Asia to expand
its trade opportunities. Chile views the TPP as a way to help it navigate its course in an era of
increased globalization and as an instrument for Chile to try to gain access to Asian markets and
to ensure that it is not isolated outside international trading arrangements in Asia.
New Zealand, another trade-dependent country, supports liberalized trade through the WTO
process but is also seeking alternative comprehensive free trade relationships in both bilateral and
regional forums. New Zealand views the TPP as a way to add some momentum to trade
liberalization among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries.11 New
Zealand also favors the continued engagement of the United States in the region. In this way, it
has strategic as well as economic reasons for seeking to include the United States in the TPP.
New Zealand has long sought an FTA with the United States and hopes that its advanced country
status and free trade bona fides will assist it in a difficult environment for trade expansion.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke stated, “I believe that to [U.S.] Democrats,
New Zealand offers very few problems because we are very keen on environment and labor
agreements as part of an overall approach to FTAs.”12 U.S. membership in the TPP would place
New Zealand on an equal economic footing with other TPP members that have FTAs with the
United States. More recently, New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser welcomed President
Obama’s announcement that the United States intends to proceed with the TPP.13
Singapore also generally shares New Zealand’s desire to keep the United States strategically and
economically engaged in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore has stated that it favors linking Asia
and the Americas as opposed to creating an Asian-only block.14 Singapore Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong stated on November 15, 2009, that “All of us welcomed very much the
announcement of the U.S. yesterday to engage with the TPP.”15

10 “Asia-Pacific Leaders Welcome Obama’s Commitment to Trans Pacific Partnership,” International Trade Reporter,
November 19, 2009.
11 “Trans -Pacific Partnership,” The Daily Post New Zealand, September 23, 2008.
12 “US Trade Move Big News for NZ: Clark,” New Zealand Herald, September 23, 2008.
13 “Groser Welcomes US Announcement on Trans-Pacific Partnership,” November 13, 2009, beehive.govt.nz
14 “Singapore Welcomes US Joining Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement,” Channel News Asia, September 22, 2008.
15 “Asia-Pacific Leaders Welcome Obama’s Commitment to Trans Pacific Partnership,” International Trade Reporter,
November 19, 2009.
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The potential participation of Vietnam in the negotiations may prove more controversial.
Heretofore, Vietnam has been described as an “observer” to the talks and it remains unclear under
what circumstances the country would become a full-fledged negotiating partner. For a grouping
primarily of advanced and middle income countries, Vietnam would be the least-developed
participant in the negotiations. While it has made great strides in liberalizing its economy and has
been granted WTO membership, criticism of its standards on labor rights, intellectual property
protection, and corruption remain. It has also come under fire for its human rights policies. U.S.
textile and apparel groups expressed their opposition to the inclusion of Vietnam in TPP
negotiations in a March 5, 2009, Trade Policy Staff Committee hearing. The National Association
of Manufacturers stressed the barriers to US exports to Vietnam including “poor protection for
intellectual property, licensing, standards, regulations, subsidies and a lack of transparency.”16
However, the perceived willingness of Vietnam to undertake the type of reforms needed to join
the TPP, either now or in the future, could serve as a catalyst for other developing countries in the
region to undertake such reforms.
Some Congressional Reactions to the TPP
Senator Charles Grassley, Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance, welcomed the
announcement that the United States was initiating negotiations to join the group.
Today’s announcement is good news. It’s in our national interest to strengthen our economic
relations with the Trans-Pacific region. Negotiation of this agreement will help further that
effort. And it may pave the way to a broader regional trade agreement in the future. If we
want to have any influence over that process, we need to get involved. We can’t advance our
economic interests if we’re not at the table.17
On March 10, 2009, 45 House members signed a letter to President Obama in urging him to
continue talks on the TPP. This bipartisan effort was headed by then-Representative Ellen
Tauscher and Representative Kevin Brady, who wrote: “We expect the TPP will be a gold
standard agreement, eliminating tariffs on all traded goods among members and reducing barriers
to trade in services and other sectors beyond standards set in the World Trade Organization.”18
During the 110th Congress, however, Senators Norm Coleman and Russ Feingold, and
Representatives John McHugh and Randy Kuhl wrote USTR Schwab expressing their concerns
about the possible implications of an agreement with New Zealand on U.S. dairy producers.
According to Representative McHugh’s letter:
the New Zealand dairy industry has the ability to flood our market with new imports,
including such dairy products as cheese, milk proteins, butter fat, and dairy food
preparations. These actions would likely result in the closure of thousands of small and
medium-sized American dairy farms, and negatively impact hundreds of rural
manufacturers.19

16 “Possible Inclusion of Vietnam in TPP Talks Sparks Controversy,” Inside US Trade, March 6, 2009.
17 “Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership, Pending Trade Agreements,” Congressional Documents and Publications,
September 22, 2008.
18 “New Democrats Urge Obama to Continue TPP Talks,” Inside US Trade, March 13, 2009.
19 Press Release of Rep. John McHugh, “McHugh to Administration: Dairy Must be Protected During FTA
Negotiations,” September 25, 2008, (http://mchugh.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=103709)
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More recently, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and Trade
Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin stated “The TPP offers both opportunities and challenges.
Done effectively, it can be of mutual economic benefit.… It also presents the challenge … of
grappling with the inclusion of a new country, Vietnam.”20
U.S. Objectives and Interests
While trade with the current TPP nations represents a relatively small part of U.S. trade with Asia
and the world (see Table 1, below), U.S. participation in the TPP could provide it with the critical
mass necessary to expand to other countries. By doing so, the TPP countries may be able shape
the regional economic architecture to the comprehensive standards of the TPP and of U.S. FTAs.
Conversely, there is concern that, should the United States find itself outside the dominant
regional economic architecture of Asia, trade could be diverted away from the United States.
Economic linkages can also reinforce strategic relationships. If U.S. trade ties were diminished as
a result of being excluded, then U.S. strategic interests and leverage could also suffer.
Some view the TPP as a useful initiative that, when pursued in combination with other diplomatic
initiatives, could do much to improve not only trans-Pacific trade relations but also help
positively affect change in the perceptions of Asian states of the U.S. commitment to Asia.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presence in and attention to the region, the U.S. decision to
sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and President Obama’s announcement of U.S. interest
to engage on the TPP and other multilateral groupings in Asia, have all helped to positively
reshape regional perceptions of the United States posture in the region. During his speech in
Tokyo in November 2009 President Obama highlighted his Asia-Pacific ties through his personal
experience in Hawaii and Indonesia and stated “The Pacific rim has helped shape my view of the
world.” In that speech he also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment “to strengthen old alliances and
build new partnerships with the nations of this region.”21
Context with Other Regional Architectures22
There are several overlapping and potentially competing regional architectures in Asia having
both economic and strategic aspects. They can be grouped into two categories: the first being
those that are Asia-centric in approach and would exclude the United States, with the second
being trans-Pacific in nature and would include the United States and other Western Hemispheric
nations.
In the first Asia-centric group are the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) + 3 and
ASEAN + 6 groups. The ASEAN + 3 group includes the members of ASEAN (Brunei, Burma,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) plus
China, Japan and South Korea. The ASEAN + 6 group is also known as the East Asia Summit
(EAS). It includes ASEAN members, China, Japan, and South Korea as well as India, Australia,

20 House Committee on Ways and Means, “Lawmakers on Announcement of US Engagement on Trans Pacific
Partnership Free Trade Agreement,” November 16, 2009.
21 Remarks of President Obama at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan, November 14, 2009.
22 For more detailed analysis, see CRS Report RL33653, East Asian Regional Architecture: New Economic and
Security Arrangements and U.S. Policy
, by Dick K. Nanto.
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and New Zealand. It is thought that key states in ASEAN wanted to balance the influence of
China in the EAS by including Australia, India, and New Zealand. The U.S. position toward the
EAS appears to be evolving given President Obama’s recent statement on engaging the EAS.
The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group is the most comprehensive
trans-Pacific group that includes the United States. A Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific
(FTAAP), proposed at the 2006 APEC meeting in Hanoi, would include all APEC members and
is being considered by APEC as a whole. Such an approach has proven to be difficult to negotiate
with all members. Many hope that the TPP will add a bottom-up impetus to promote trade
liberalization among APEC states and potentially succeed where the FTAAP thus far has not.23
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is also promoting an Asia-Pacific community initiative.
Since the end of World War II, the United States traditionally has played a central role in
developing or leading Asian strategic and economic architectures. While the United States has
tried in the past to develop multilateral strategic groups, such as the Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization (SEATO), it has had more success in the strategic arena in Asia through its key
bilateral treaty relationships with Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand.
Collectively, this post-World War II system of bilateral alliances became known as the San
Francisco system. The United States has more recently engaged in trilateral security discussions
with Australia and Japan and has made a key strategic opening to India. Other regional states,
such as Singapore, also enjoy close bilateral strategic and defense relations with the United
States, though they are not defined by treaty.24
A Comprehensive Trade Agreement
The United States generally has sought to negotiate comprehensive free trade agreements that
liberalize trade in all sectors of the economies of partner countries. In its FTA policies, the United
States seeks to follow the provisions of the WTO General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade which
has stipulated that free trade agreements cover “substantially all trade” among the participating
countries (Article XXIV(8)(b)). The TPP likewise has endeavored to achieve a similar level of
comprehensiveness, which may be one reason that the TPP has attracted attention from the United
States.
The TPP provides for the complete elimination of tariff lines among Chile, New Zealand, and
Singapore, and a 99% liberalization with Brunei, all to be phased out over time. The services
schedule follows a negative-list approach, meaning that a category of services trade is covered in
the agreement unless specifically excluded. The services schedules reportedly represent a
significant expansion on the parties’ services commitments to the WTO.25 The agreement
contains chapters addressing potential non-tariff barriers such as customs valuation procedures,

23 P. Parameswaran, “US to Join Budding Asia-Pacific Free Trade Agreement,” Agence France Presse, September 22,
2008.
24 For more on the evolving strategic architectures of Asia see CRS Report RL34312, Emerging Trends in the Security
Architecture in Asia: Bilateral and Multilateral Ties Among the United States, Japan, Australia, and India
, by Emma
Chanlett-Avery and Bruce Vaughn, Emerging Trends in the Security Architecture in Asia: Bilateral and Multilateral
Ties Among the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, by Emma Chanlett-Avery and Bruce Vaughn.
25 New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade “Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement: Key
Outcomes- June 2005, ” (http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/0--Trade-archive/0--Trade-
agreements/Trans-Pacific/0-key-outcomes.php)
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sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), and technical barriers to trade (TBT). The agreement
also contains chapters on competition policy, intellectual property rights, government
procurement policy, temporary movement of business persons, and provisions governing the
settlement of disputes. The agreement sets out memoranda of understanding (MOU) among the
parties on labor and environmental cooperation. Chapters on financial services and investments
are currently being negotiated.
Table 1. U.S. Goods Trade with TPP Countries, 2008
(million $)
Country Rank

Imports Exports Total
Balance
Singapore
19
15,719
25,656
41,375
9,937
Chile
33
8,182
11,367
19,549
3,185
New Zealand
55
3,152
2,444
5,596
(708)
Brunei
137
121
106
227
(15)
TOTAL-TPP
9
27,174
39,573
66,747
12,399
Australia
25
10,535
20,948
31,483
10,413
Peru
42
5,840
5,687
11,527
(153)
Vietnam
38
12,611
2,673
15,284
(9,938)
Pacific Rim

690,106
287,227
977,333
(402,879)
World
2,090,483
1,169,821
3,260,304
(920,662)

Source: U.S. International Trade Commission
Notes: Rank based on total trade (imports+exports); imports for consumption, U.S. domestic exports.
Countries who have expressed an interested in joining the TPP are italicized.
U.S. Trade with Current Trans-Pacific Partner Countries
Table 1 shows U.S. trade in goods with TPP countries. In 2008, the United States ran a
merchandise trade deficit with New Zealand and Brunei, and ran surpluses with Chile and
Singapore, yielding an overall trade surplus with the TPP bloc. Taken as a bloc, trade with the
TPP countries represents the ninth-largest trading partner of the United States, ahead of Saudi
Arabia and just behind France. However, trade with the TPP represents a small percentage of U.S.
total trade with the Pacific Rim (7%) and the world (2%).
Concluding a TPP agreement would involve negotiating an FTA with New Zealand and Brunei.
This likely would entail tough talks on sensitive U.S. agriculture sectors such as beef, lamb, and
dairy products. U.S. goods trade with New Zealand is relatively small. New Zealand was the 55th
largest trading partner of the United States in 2008 with two-way trade of $5.6 billion. U.S.
imports of $3.1 billion were led by meat, dairy products, wine, fish, sawmill products, and
chemicals. U.S. exports of $2.4 billion were led by aircraft and parts, agricultural equipment,
motor vehicles, navigational instruments, and chemicals. (See Appendix, below.) The United
States also conducts extensive services trade with New Zealand, including exports of $1.5 billion
and imports of $1.7 billion in 2007. Brunei is a relatively minor trading partner of the United
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States (137th largest) with total trade of $227 million in 2008 ($106 million in exports, $121
million in imports).

Table 2. U.S. Private Services Trade with TPP Members, 2008
($million)
Country Exports Imports Total
Balance
Chile
1,943 1,034 2,977 909
New
Zealand
1,787 1,705 3,492 82
Singapore 9,011
4,168
13,179
4,848
Australia
11,826
6,077
17,903 5,749
Total
24,567
12,984
37,551
11,583
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business
Notes: BEA does not col ect services trade data from every partner country; Countries who have expressed an
interested in joining the TPP are italicized.
The United States also maintains extensive services trade with current and potential TPP
countries. Generally, the United States has maintained consistent surpluses with these countries
except for New Zealand, which also swung into surplus in 2008. In the case of Australia, with
which the United States has an FTA, total services trade grew at an annual rate of 11.75% in the
four years following the FTA’s coming into effect, and services exports grew even faster at
14.25% per annum. Chile and Singapore have also experienced an upward, if more measured,
trajectory in two-way services trade.
Potential Controversies
In negotiating an agreement with the TPP countries, several potential controversies may arise.
Some are country specific, such as agriculture issues with New Zealand. Other issues may
involve New Zealand and Brunei, or issues related to the implementation of FTAs that the United
States currently has with Chile, Singapore, Australia, and Peru.
Agricultural Products
Dairy
The National Milk Producer’s Federation (NMPF) has sought an exclusion for the dairy industry
in any potential FTA negotiations with New Zealand. At issue is the N.Z. dairy cooperative
Fonterra, which NMPF claims acts as a monopoly and controls 90% of milk production in New
Zealand. The concern is that if Fonterra acts as a monopoly it can exert pricing power through
cross-subsidization and provide marketing and other subsidized services. New Zealand officials
contend that Fonterra has no monopoly powers and that producers are free to sell their product to
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whom they wish.26 According to the most recent WTO Trade Policy Review, New Zealand no
longer holds a statutory monopoly, but the company does hold exclusive licenses to export to
some markets for periods up until 2010.27 Dairy products were included in the U.S.-Australian
FTA but were subject to an 18-year phase-out period. New Zealand Trade Minister Philip Goff
commented that the effect of New Zealand’s access to the U.S. dairy market “would be relatively
minor.”28 It has also been argued that the U.S. dairy industry could stand to gain more than it
might lose through expanded market access that the TPP could provide should it attract additional
members.
Beef
U.S. beef cattle producers have also expressed concern over an FTA with New Zealand.
Currently, New Zealand is allocated a tariff rate quota (TRQ) of 4.4 cents per kilogram inside a
213,402-ton quota for imported beef and 26.4 cents outside the TRQ. Some U.S. cattle producers
are concerned that the TRQ on imported beef will be removed as a result of the FTA negotiations.
The U.S. Cattleman’s Association has favored the imposition of a quantity-based safeguard
during a phase-out period and a tariff snapback to MFN rates if imports surge once tariffs are
eliminated.29 For its part, Brunei maintains a rigorous halal certification process, requiring on-site
inspection for every establishment seeking to export meat and poultry into Brunei.30
Other Issues
Several other areas may prove to be contentious in negotiations with TPP member countries.
These issues have proved to be sticking points in past U.S. FTA negotiations.
Intellectual Property Rights
The United States has sought increased intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in its FTAs.
Two broad IPR negotiating objectives were elucidated in the last U.S. trade promotion authority
(P.L. 107-210) in effect between 2002-2007: (1) to apply the existing IPR protection to digital
media and (2) to negotiate trade agreements in terms of IPR that “reflect a standard of protection
similar to that found in U.S. law.” This phrase opened the door to the negotiation of provisions
that go beyond the level of protection provided in the WTO Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property (TRIPS) agreement. For example, the United States has sought to have its partner
countries sign onto the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Performances and
Phonograms Treaty, an agreement to which New Zealand is not a party. USTR’s 2009 U.S.
Foreign Trade Barriers Report (FTB) noted that New Zealand is an active participant in efforts to
strengthen international IPR enforcement by participating in the negotiations on a multilateral

26 Discussions with New Zealand embassy officials, November 2008.
27 World Trade Organization, Trade Policy Report: New Zealand, Report by the Secretariat (WT/TPR/S/115), April 14,
2003.
28 “USTR-Announced New Zealand FTA Gets Cool Agriculture Reaction,” Inside U.S. Trade, September 26, 2008.
29 ibid.
30 U.S. Trade Representative, 2009 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, Brunei, p. 47, available
at:[http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2009/2009_National_Trade_Estimate_Report_on_Fo
reign_Trade_Barriers/Section_Index.html] (hereinafter, FTB report).
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Anti-Counterfeiting Agreement, and that it had passed a new copyright protection act in April
2008.31 Conversely, the FTB criticized Brunei for its alleged high piracy rates and the weak
governmental track record on enforcement.32 In addition, the U.S. Special 301 report for 2008 put
Chile in the “priority watch category,” noting that “Chile’s IPR performance continues to fall well
below expectations for a U.S. FTA partner.” 33
Pharmaceuticals
New Zealand administers a national formulary for medicines that the government purchases for
its national health service. The United States has expressed concern that the practices and
procedures of the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac), which maintains the
formulary, puts “innovative pharmaceutical products,” often made in the United States, at a
disadvantage to older, generic products. In negotiations with Australia over a similar system, the
United States and Australia agreed to a series of consultation and transparency mechanisms,
designed to afford U.S. manufacturers an opportunity to make their case for inclusion in the
formulary.
Government Procurement
The United States is a member of the plurilateral WTO Government Procurement Agreement
(GPA) and has sought the inclusion of government procurement provisions in its FTAs. New
Zealand is not a member of the GPA. However, New Zealand officials assert that the country
maintains a more liberalized procurement regime than is specified by the GPA. New Zealand
maintains certain government procurement preferences for its Maori population pursuant to the
Treaty of Waitangi. In previous FTA negotiations, the United States had sought concessions from
negotiating partners on government procurement preferences designed to assist the Malay
population in Malaysia, for example, or for the Black Economic Empowerment initiative in South
Africa. U.S. FTAs with Australia, Peru, Chile, and Singapore include sections on government
procurement, which provide opportunities for firms of each nation to bid on certain federal, state,
and municipal contracts over a set monetary threshold.
Environment and Labor
Some Members of Congress have sought the expansion of labor and environmental provisions in
U.S. FTAs. The TPP contains a labor memorandum of understanding (MOU) and an
environmental cooperation agreement between the parties. These agreements pledge the parties to
work together to promote sound labor and environmental practices, while respecting the right of
parties to set, administer, and enforce their own labor and environmental laws. It commits the
parties not to set or use labor or environmental laws or practices either for trade protectionist
purposes nor to weaken such laws or practices to encourage trade and investment. This language
is generally consistent with the language that the United States negotiated in its FTAs with Chile,

31 FTB report, New Zealand, p. 349.
32 FTB Report, Brunei, p. 48.
33 U.S. Trade Representative, 2008 Special 301 Report,
[http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2008/2008_Special_301_Report/asset_upload_fil
e553_14869.pdf] Countries placed on the Priority Watch List are the focus of increased bilateral attention concerning
IPR protection, enforcement, or market access for persons relying on intellectual property.
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Singapore, and Australia. Subsequently in the 110th Congress, the administration and
congressional leaders agreed to strengthen certain provisions of the environmental and labor
provisions for certain outstanding trade agreements. This agreement was reflected in the U.S.-
Peru FTA which entered into force on February 1, 2009.
Trade Promotion Authority
In order for any TPP agreement negotiated to come into force, legislation implementing the
agreement must be passed by both Houses of Congress. Most of the previous trade agreements
have received congressional consideration under “fast-track” procedures known as trade
promotion authority (TPA), which last expired in 2007. TPA allows the President to negotiate
reciprocal trade agreements that are to receive expedited congressional consideration (i.e., limited
debate and committee consideration, no amendments, and an up or down vote) as long as the
President adheres to specific deadlines and consultation requirements. TPA allows Congress to
exercise its constitutional authority over trade, while giving the President added leverage to
exercise his authority to negotiate trade agreements by effectively assuring U.S. trade partners
that final agreements are given swift and unamended consideration. Some observers have
expressed concern that future trade agreements, including FTAs under the TPP framework, will
be difficult to negotiate in the absence of TPA.

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Appendix. U.S. Merchandise Trade with New
Zealand, 2008

Table A-1. U.S. Merchandise Trade with New Zealand 2008
North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)-4 Product Description
Value
Value
U.S. Exports
(Million $)
U.S.
Imports
(Million$)

Aerospace
356
Meat
Products
838

Products/Parts
253
Dairy
569
Special Classification
Products/Cheese
165
158
Agriculture/Construction
Returned/Reimported
Machinery
101
157
Beverages/Wines
Motor Vehicles
100
124
Fish/ Fresh or Frozen
Navigational/Control
92
120
Instruments
Sawmill Products
86
110
Basic Chemicals
Basic Chemicals
66
108
General Machinery
Medical Equipment
65
76
Pharmaceuticals
Petroleum/Coal
62
Products
69
Computer Equipment
55
Aluminum
63
Engines/Turbines/Power
54
51
Transmission Eqpt.
Fruits and Tree Nuts
48
51
Resin/Synthetic Rubber,
General Machinery
Fibers and Filament
46
Iron and Steel
47
Medical Equipment
46
Foods, NESOI
38
Petroleum/Coal
849
Special Classification
573
Products
2,444
Other
3,152
Communications


Equipment
Total
Misc. Manufactured

Commodities
Other
Total

Source: U.S. International Trade Commission
Notes: NAICS-4 Product Description

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Figure A-1. TPP States and Potential Additional Members




CRS-13

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Author Contact Information

Ian F. Fergusson
Bruce Vaughn
Specialist in International Trade and Finance
Specialist in Asian Affairs
ifergusson@crs.loc.gov, 7-4997
bvaughn@crs.loc.gov, 7-3144


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