New Round of TPP Ministerial Meeting Kicks Off in Singapore

Xinhua News Agency

23 February 2014

A New round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) ministerial meeting kicked off in Singapore on Saturday, which observers viewed “unlikely” to be concluded here, with main sticking points on intellectual property protection, state-owned enterprise, agricultural products, as well as the U.S. “fast track”.

The meeting carried on with its tradition of negotiating behind closed doors. The participants include trade ministers and representatives of 12 countries such as Singapore, the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam.

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement that prior to this meeting, chief negotiators and subject matter experts also met in Singapore from Feb. 17 to 21.

… “There have not, as far as I know, been breakthroughs yet on the U.S.-Japan portion of the agreement,” said Deborah K. Elms, Head of Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University during a recent interview.

She also views it “quite unlikely” to conclude the talks at this round here, quoting “fast track” of the U.S. as a major problem right now.

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