TPP Ministers Craft New Report; APEC Ministers Eye 'Green' Goods List

摘要

Trade ministers from the nine countries currently participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks met this week on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Vladivostok, Russia, and signed off on a new ministers' report to TPP leaders that outlines progress made in the talks since last November, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. At the meeting, the TPP ministers "reviewed progress made over 13 rounds of negotiations and instructed negotiators to redouble their efforts in advance of the 14th round of negotiations," USTR wrote in a Sept. 6 statement. The ministers also agreed to the report, which will be provided to TPP leaders while they are in Vladivostok Sept. 8-9 and will be publicly released then, USTR added. The 14th round of talks TPP started yesterday (Sept. 6) in Virginia. Ministers from Mexico and Canada joined with ministers from current TPP members at the end of the meeting, USTR said. Both North American partners will become full negotiating partners next month.