The Obama administration released a draft statement of administrative action on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), in another step in the process to begin ratification of the agreement before the end of the president’s term. As mandated by the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation that was passed last year, the statement outlines the steps the administration will take to implement TPP.
Under TPA, 30 days after Friday’s announcement, the administration may send draft legislation to implement TPP to Congress. It is unlikely to do so, however, before it knows it has the votes to pass the agreement.
Nevertheless, the statement represents the strongest indication to date that the administration is intent on passing TPP before the next president takes office during the “lame duck” session of Congress after the November election, said Rich Harper, manager of international trade for Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).
Covering 40 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), the TPP is one of the most ambitious free trade agreements in history, and it will have a significant impact on the bottom lines of outdoor manufacturers, retailers and suppliers.
OIA was a stakeholder in the TPP negotiations from day one, representing balanced trade policy and the interests of the outdoor industry to ensure substantial benefits that include:
- Eliminating U.S. tariffs on certain outdoor products not made in the United States, while securing long tariff phase-outs and strict trade rules on outdoor products that are made domestically. These protections are necessary to give domestic producers adequate time to adjust to post-TPP global trade.
- Expanding access to global markets for U.S. manufacturers.
- Protecting innovation on products designed, distributed or manufactured in the United States.
- Protecting the environment and raising labor standards in TPP countries.
OIA’s Board of Directors approved a formal position statement in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in March.
