Today's quote is from a letter on TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which
140 Members of Congress sent to
President Obama at the end of July. The number of signatories alone is impressive - almost one-third of the House. So too are the individual names. Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Dave Camp is a signatory, along with the Committee's Ranking Member
Charles Rangel. And from Oregon, Rep.
Kurt Schrader signed.
Japan is the sole focus of the letter's opening paragraph.
"When Japan joined these negotiations," the members wrote,
"it agreed that the elimination of tariffs is a key feature of the agreement, as announced by TPP leaders on November 12, 2011. Unfortunately, Japan's current position falls far short of acceptability." In the second and third paragraphs, however, there are two target countries: Japan and Canada.
The letter itself is fairly short. Nine of its 10 pages are taken up with signatures. Here is the full text of what comes between "Dear Mr. President" and "Sincerely":
Text of the TPP Congressional Letter of July 30, 2014
We write to express our deep concern over Japan's current market access *offer within the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. When Japan joined these negotiations, it agreed that the elimination of tariffs is a key feature of the agreement, as announced by TPP leaders on November 12, 2011. Unfortunately, Japan's current position falls far short of acceptability.
Specifically, Japan is seeking to exempt numerous tariff lines from complete elimination with the United States. If accepted, this unprecedented and objectionable offer would significantly limit access for U.S. farmers and ranchers to the Japanese market, and most likely, to other TPP countries as well. Furthermore, caving to Japan's demands would set a damaging precedent, compromising the U.S. negotiating position with future TPP members. This result runs the significant risk that the EU will be encouraged to make unacceptably weak offers in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, undermining Congressional support. In that same vein, we are also troubled by Canada's lack of ambition, which is threatening a robust outcome for U.S. farmers.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership was envisioned as a high-standard, 21st-century trade agreement that would be a model for all future U.S. free trade agreements. To realize this goal, we urge you to hold Japan and Canada to the same high standards as other TPP partners. Otherwise, Congressional support for a final TPP agreement will be jeopardized. Indeed, we urge you to pursue the TPP negotiations without any country, including Japan, Canada, or others, that proves unwilling to open its market in accordance with these high standards. We owe our farmers and ranchers the best deal possible.
END TO TEXT
