Trade Ministers from 12 Pacific Rim Countries Incl. US Ceremonially Signed Free Trade Deal

[appalachiablue]

Source: AP

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Trade ministers from 12 Pacific Rim countries including the United States gathered Thursday in New Zealand for the ceremonial signing of a free-trade deal they say will significantly boost trade.

But for the pact to take force, each country must now ratify it through its domestic political process. Whether the politically divided U.S. will agree to it remains an open question.

The agreement covers a region responsible for about one-third of all world trade, although noticeably missing from the agreement is China, which is forging ahead with its own trade deals.

Proponents say the agreement will increase trade and make it more equitable by eliminating most tariffs and other barriers. But opponents say it will erode national sovereignty and hand too much power to U.S. corporations.

Many people in New Zealand remain opposed to the deal, and hundreds protested outside the Auckland venue where it was being signed, blocking traffic on some streets, while others protested in the capital, Wellington.

In the U.S., the agreement has been at the center of President Barack Obama's trade agenda, but while it is supported by business groups and many Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet backed it and has suggested Congress shouldn't vote to ratify it until after the November elections.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Thursday he remained confident that U.S. lawmakers would ultimately approve it.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said his country was proud to be involved in helping negotiate the deal over five years.

"The Trans-Pacific Partnership ultimately represents a giant vote of confidence in, and optimism for, the future prosperity of our economy and our people," he said.

As well as the U.S. and New Zealand, the countries who have signed the deal are Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Peru, Chile, Vietnam and Brunei.

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-02-03/us-11-other-countries-sign-free-trade-deal-in-new-zealand

---

Posted 1 hr. ago.
_____
This article concerns the *TPP, the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal. The official Feb. 4 signing event in Auckland, New Zealand received little to no reporting in mainstream US news.

[elmac]

1. In the last 2 days in Michigan

we have had 2 news worthy reports of local manufactures closing down and moving to Mexico. It will only get worse.

[navarth]

4. correct

[roguevalley]

8. Obama's NAFTA. NO more conservative dems. EVER.

[KoKo]

2. K&R...It Continues. And, PBO really needs this "Trade" Agreement for his Legacy....

My only hope is so many groups working against it. We had a demonstration outside our House Rep's office today to try to get him to "Vote it Down." He didn't even bother to send a Staff Member down to meet with us even though he had been notified that a delegation of voters would be there today. He is a Dem who has voted mostly with us on issues that were Liberal...but, has defended this Trade Agreement consistently. We've not been able to figure out WHY!

[appalachiablue]

15. We can't leave out the work on TPP by 13 Democratic US Senate Members:

[Trajan]

3. Assholes

Every one of them ..

FUCK! ...

[scottie55]

5. Is It OK To Call The President Names On DU?

I respect my fellow dems.

The president?

Not so much any more.

The little guy gets screwed once again.

And the planet for that matter.

[bvar22]

6. ...because NAFTA worked so well.

...and all so called "Free Trade" agreements serve only one purpose,
to redirect even MORE money to the pockets of the Global .01% by

*Busting Unions

*Escaping Environmental Regulations

*Placing an impermeable wall between "customers" and the Ownership Class

*Lowering wages and benefits to the least common denominator in the the World

*Avoiding those pesky Safety Regulations and Human Rights

The TPP will be different ONLY in size.

The Korean Free Trade Agreement was the prototype for the TPP, and contained much of the same language.
Obama promised it would bring thousands of jobs to the USA.
He was very, very wrong (again).
However, it DID bring MILLLIONS to the pockets of the very rich.

One problem with trade and investment deals, especially with lower-wage countries like South Korea and China, is that they often result in growing trade deficits and job losses. In 2011, President Obama claimed that the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS) would “support 70,000 American jobs” because the agreement would “increase exports of American goods by $10 billion to $11 billion.”

Since KORUS took effect in 2012, exports to Korea have increased by less than $1 billion. Meanwhile, U.S. imports have surged more than $12 billion, resulting in a net loss of 75,000 U.S. jobs.

Similarly, Bill Clinton claimed that NAFTA would create 200,000 jobs in its first two years and a million jobs in five years. Instead, between 1993 (before NAFTA) and 2013, the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada increased from $17 billion to $177.2 billion, displacing more than 850,000 U.S. jobs.

http://www.newsweek.com/free-trade-costs-american-jobs-332962

The TPP will be the above on steroids.
If you haven't already moved to the country and started growing your own food,
time is running out.

"They" are going to do this even though the majority of Americans who Work for a Living oppose more "Free Trade".
We have lived the disaster of "Free Trade" since Bill Clinton sold NAFTA to trusting Americans.
It will only get worse.

[SoapBox]

7. THE black mark on 8 years of Obama.

I am beyond disgusted.

[nikto]

9. TPP is TOXIC

[nikto]

10. Edgar Allan Poe satirizes TPP ...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S6BavFtqi9M/VVQsZ8VTwVI/AAAAAAAABFk/PNfDeLU6Pzs/s1600/Amontillado-Don't%2Bworry%2C%2Bthese%2BTPPP%2BBricks%2Bare%2Bgoing%2Bto%2Bmake%2Byou%2Bmore%2Bsecure%2Band%2Bhealthy%2C%2Bjust%2Blet%2Bme%2Bfinish.jpg

[trillion]

11. Vote Bernie.

[Hekate]

12. I trust Obama on this as I have trusted him on other things. IMO he hasn't broken faith yet....

I listened to what he had to say, and understand what he is trying to do. He is the first US president to have such an orientation to Asia and the Pacific, and I think that people don't get that.

As always, it's complex in a time when citizens want simple.

[benh57]

13. Me too, but the IP provisions bother me

See the EFF's take. https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp

[Hekate]

14. Thank you for that bit of agreement. I've supported the EFF in the past re electronic voting...

...and will check what they have to say about the TPP as I respect their opinion.

Sadly, around DU there has been an incredible knee jerk reaction that had it almost universally reviled before it was ever able to be published. I would ask people if they had read it and was generally told some version of it was too long and they already knew what was in it and it was evil. Not much discussion to be had, in other words.

To be honest, I've not read it either. What I did was listen carefully to what Obama said when he explained his intent, and based on that, on his performance to date, and what I know of his background and attitudes (all public record) I decided to believe him.

Now, as a human being, he could turn out to be mistaken as time goes by. But lying? Venal? A sellout? No, I assuredly do not think so.