SICE: Trade Policy Developments: Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

The negotiating process of the TPP is an initiative developed by the member countries that currently form part of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. This agreement, also known as P4, was signed in 2005 and has been in force since 2006.

The P4 is an open agreement and is why it provides the possibility of accession of third parties with the objective of promoting the creation of a major strategic alliance for the liberalization of trade in the region. In particular, Article 20.6 of the Agreement establishes that other APEC economies or other states can join the Agreement on the terms agreed by the parties. On 4 February 2008, The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States would participate in the negotiations on investment and financial services scheduled for next March between Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Brunei.

On 22 September 2008, the P4 countries and the United States announced the launch of negotiations for the U.S. to join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement.

Later, Australia, Peru and Viet Nam formally expressed their interest to join the negotiations of the comprehensive agreement, that is, the Trans-Pacific Association Agreement, during the Summit of the Asia pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in November of 2008 in Lima, Peru.

Approximately a year later, on 14 November 2009 the President of the United States of America announced that he would work with an initial group of seven countries of the TPP, with the goal of forming a regional agreement of "broad membership and the highest standards that represent the effectiveness of an agreement of the 21^st Century".

The first round of negotiations of the Trans Pacific Association Agreement (TPP) was held between Chile, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore in conjunction with the United States, Peru, Australia and Viet Nam, from 15 - 19 of March 2010, in Melbourne, Australia.

The second round of negotiations of the TPP was held in San Francisco, United States on 14 June 2010. In addition, a mini round of negotiations took place on 20-21 August, in Lima, Peru.

The member countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership met in Brunei Darussalam from 04 to 10 October 2010 for a third round of TPP negotiations. A total of 24 negotiating groups met to address a wide range of issues covered by the agreement. At the same time, Malaysia formally presented its application to join the ongoing negotiations. The eight countries participating in the process unanimously accepted the accession of Malaysia to the negotiations on 05 October, enabling their actual participation as the ninth member of the TPP negotiation process. The fourth round of negotiations took place in Auckland, New Zealand from 06 to 10 December 2010.The fifth round was held in Santiago, Chile, on 14-18 February 2011. The sixth round took place in Singapore from 28 March to 01 April. The seventh round took place in Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, from 20 to 24 June 2011. The eighth round of negotiations was held in Chicago, United States, from 09 to15 September 2011. The ninth round of negotiations began in Lima, Peru on October 20th, 2011.

On November 12th, during the 2011 annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meetings in Honolulu, U.S.A, Trans-Pacific Partnership countries announced the broad outlines of a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Leaders instructed their negotiating teams to meet in early December 2011 to continue their work, to schedule additional negotiating rounds for 2012, and to continue talks with other trans-Pacific partners that have expressed interest in joining the TPP to facilitate their future participation in the negotiations.

On November 11, 2011, Japan had announced that it will enter into consultations with the nine countries engaged in the TPP in order to explore the possibility of joining those negotiations. Mexico also expressed interest in participating in the TPP negotiations. On November 13, 2011 Canada expressed its intent to enter into formal consultations with TPP members to discuss Canada’s possible participation in the negotiations.

The tenth round of negotiations was held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, from 05 to 09 December 2011.

Documents relating to the negotiations
05-09 December 2011	Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Tenth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP)
12 November 2011	Honolulu, United States. Trans-Pacific partnership leaders statement
	Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers' report to leaders
	Outlines of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
12 november 2011	Canada to enter into consultations on possible participation in negotiations
12 november 2011	Mexico interested in participating in TPP negotiations
12 November 2011	Japan interested in joining Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
20 October 2011	Lima, Peru. Ninth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP)
09-15 September 2011	Chicago, United States. Eighth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP)
21 June 2011	Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam. Seventh round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP)
27 March-01 April 2011	Singapore. Sixth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
14-18 February 2011	Santiago, Chile. Fifth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
06-10 December 2010	Auckland, New Zealand. Fourth round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
04-10 October 2010	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Third round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
05 October 2010	The TPP partners reached consensus on Malaysia's request to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations
20-21 August 2010	Lima, Peru. Mini-round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
14-18 June 2010	San Francisco, United States. Second round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
	Update Second Round - Depatment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
	Report of the second round of negotiations - MINCETUR, Peru
15-19 March 2010	Melbourne, Australia. First round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
	Update First Round - Depatment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
	Report of the first round of negotiations - MINCETUR, Peru
14 March 2010	Peru announces the launch of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
14 November 2009	United States announces intention to engage with the Trans-Pacific Partnership
26 November 2008	Australia to join efforts to promote free trade in the Asia Pacific
23 September 2008	Australia considers participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
22 September 2008	Launch of U.S. negotiations to join the the Trans- Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement
04 February 2008	U.S. to join negotiations on investment and financial services
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government; Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo, Perú (MINCETUR); Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)