The United States is poised to complete the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in 2015 but not without a few challenges.
Eric Shimp, policy advisor in Alston & Bird’s International Trade & Regulatory Group, noted that the key to reaching a TPP agreement hinges on the outcome of separate U.S.-Japan bilateral negotiations over agricultural and automotive market access.
“I think Japan and the U.S. are a lot closer now to resolving the market access problems and … once the big goods and services market access piece is taken care of, those other issues are going to get lined up for political attention and move,” Shimp said. “This is the first time in years I’ve said something optimistic about TPP.”
Eric Shimp, policy advisor in Alston & Bird’s International Trade & Regulatory Group, noted that the key to reaching a TPP agreement hinges on the outcome of separate U.S.-Japan bilateral negotiations over agricultural and automotive market access.
“I think Japan and the U.S. are a lot closer now to resolving the market access problems and … once the big goods and services market access piece is taken care of, those other issues are going to get lined up for political attention and move,” Shimp said. “This is the first time in years I’ve said something optimistic about TPP.”