TPP Talk

13 November 2011 by by Mark Sinclair

The big news from Honolulu today was the announcement by TPP Leaders of the broad outlines of an agreement. The announcement came at the end of a meeting of Leaders from the nine Trans-Pacific Partnership countries, hosted by US President Barack Obama. Deputy Prime Minister Hon Bill English represented New Zealand.

Following the meeting Mr English and Trade Minister Tim Groser released a statement offering a New Zealand perspective on the outcome. Mr English also released the three documents that Leaders had before them when they met. They comprised:

• a statement issued by Leaders;
• a report from Trade Ministers to Leaders, which Leaders endorsed; and
• a background paper with more detail on the 'broad outlines'.

At the end of the meeting President Obama gave media a brief summary of the outcome.

Chief negotiators from the nine TPP countries were able to sit in on the meeting. We now have some direct political guidance on where we need to take the negotiation from here on, starting with a meeting we are scheduling for early December.

Mark Sinclair is New Zealand lead negotiator for TPP.