Malaysia Committee Briefing on the Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Please join the US-ASEAN Business Council for a conference call to discuss the status of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The discussion will include an overview of the TPA, legislation being introduced in the U.S. Congress which is essential for the completion of the TPP, as well as an update on the TPP negotiations.
Recently, the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) debate in Congress centered on Malaysia’s human rights record. Background details on this debate have been provided below:
On May 22 the U.S. Senate passed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) or “fast-track” trade bill, the legislation that is considered essential for the completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Despite this major victory for the Obama Administration and the TPP, the TPA passed with an amendment that would deny fast fast-track protections for any trade agreement with a country who has a “Tier 3” status on the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report. In the State Department’s most recent report, Malaysia received the lowest “Tier 3” ranking. This ranking is expected to be maintained in the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report to be released this month. Should this amendment make it into the final TPA agreement as it exists in the current Senate TPA bill, Malaysia’s Tier 3 status could jeopardize the TPP’s fast-track protections, or threaten Malaysia’s participation in the TPP. Either way, the amendment poses a considerable threat to the entire TPP project. Fortunately, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the latter of whom originally introduced the amendment, have struck a compromise with the White House and State Department. The compromise would allow the State Department to submit a waiver for Tier 3 countries that have taken concrete steps to combat human trafficking. This waiver would allow for a trade deal such as the TPP to be fast-tracked. The TPA bill has now moved to the House for a vote which is expected to take place in late June. In the House, the language in the human trafficking amendment can be replaced and relaxed by including the waiver compromise. Supporters of the TPP, led by Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), are expected to assist with the introduction of the new language and work to drum up support for the bill with the support of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.)