The Obama administration is negotiating a multi-country, regional free-trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and possibly Malaysia and Canada. The agreement will provide nearly all U.S. goods and services improved access to and among these markets by opening new opportunities for U.S. goods and services into New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, and possibly Malaysia, and linking that new access to existing free-trade agreements the United States already has with the other participating countries. The goal is to finalize the TPP agreement by the end of 2011. Businesses that currently trade with these countries, or that are interested in exploring trading opportunities in these markets, should weigh in with U.S. government negotiators to ensure their products and services receive the most favorable treatment possible.
The McDermott Difference
McDermott's international trade group is actively engaged in TPP negotiations, working with officials from the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies. For more information regarding these negotiations or pursuing trading interests in TPP countries, please contact either of the authors in the Washington, D.C., office.
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