This is a reprint of a 2015 Talking Trade post on the Investor-State Dispute Settlement System (ISDS) provisions that are included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and in nearly 3000 existing trade agreements. It explains why ISDS has been included in the TPP, what it is intended to do and what it does do.
McConnell’s Better TPP Plan for 2017?
He went on to say that, "It will still be around. It can be massaged, changed, worked on during the next administration." The TPP may still be around, but whatever changes McConnell thinks may somehow be made to the agreement next year would probably make passage through Congress less likely, instead of more likely. Just as important, these changes would make the final TPP agreement less favorable to McConnell's Farm Bureau audience.
How Will the TPP Affect Digital Trade in Asia?
By its nature, the digital economy shows scant regard for international borders. Barriers are easy to circumvent or are prohibitively difficult to enforce. International rules on digital trade often receive little attention, especially compared to some traditional areas of strong focus such as agriculture, textiles and automobiles. Trade agreements are starting to address digital issues. So how does the TPP compare to existing trade agreements in Asia? The TPP goes further than others in both breadth and depth, and could have a transformative effect on economies across the Asia Pacific, as our new report and this Talking Trade post highlight.
Special Edition: TPP Ratification Status Update in 12 Member States
Trade Agreements and Me
That is the simple part. Simple, but crucial—and yet a narrative that is often not explained sufficiently by politicians when discussing trade agreements. Trade agreements are about access to products, yes; but they are also about the prices of those products for consumers, and the kinds of products and services available to consumers that may be affected by in future.