Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
Last updated April 2013.
Canada joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), along with Mexico, on October 8, 2012 and has to participated in two rounds. The TPP currently comprises Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. The last TPP negotiations round was held in Singapore from March 4-13, 2013. Round 17 will be held in Lima, Peru from May 15-24, 2013.
For more information, please see background information on the Trans-Pacific Partenership Free Trade Agreement Negotiations.
Consultations
The Government of Canada launched a comprehensive consultation process on December 31, 2011, involving the Canadian public, provinces and territories, businesses and non-governmental organizations, seeking advice and views on priorities, objectives and concerns with respect to the TPP to help Canada outline the parameters of this initiative (see Canada Gazette: Consultations on Potential Free Trade Agreement Negotiations with Trans-Pacific Partnership Members). This process indicated broad support for Canada’s entry into the negotiations.
As with Canada’s engagement in any free-trade negotiation, interested stakeholders have an opportunity to provide their views related to Canada’s interests in the TPP. In addition, general briefings are offered on an ad hoc basis and on occasion subject-matter experts may be consulted to help inform Canada’s negotiating positions on certain technical areas under discussion. Furthermore, stakeholder engagement events are incorporated into negotiating rounds, providing an opportunity for both industry and non-industry representatives to register to participate officially and to engage directly with TPP negotiators. Any interested stakeholder can register for these events.
During Round 16, approximately 300 stakeholders, comprising the private sector, civil society, labour groups and academia, participated in a stakeholder engagement programme, where they had an opportunity to meet with Canada’s negotiators and negotiators from other TPP countries. A marketplace and stakeholder presentations were held in parallel for much of the day on March 6, followed by a formal briefing by Chief Negotiators. Canadian negotiators have heard from a wide range of industry and non-industry stakeholders and continue to welcome views to help inform negotiating positions (see Contact Point below)
Environmental Assessment Consultations
The Government of Canada is committed to sustainable development. Mutually supportive trade, investment and environmental policies can contribute to this objective. To this end, the Minister of International Trade has directed trade officials to improve their understanding of the relationship between trade and environmental issues at the earliest stages of decision making, and to do this through an open and inclusive process. Environmental assessments of trade negotiations are critical to this work. This process is guided by the 2001 Framework for the Environmental Assessment of Trade Negotiations and developed in line with the Cabinet Directive on Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals.
On December 1, 2012, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade published a Notice of Intent to conduct a strategic environmental assessment of the Canada-TPP Free Trade Agreement negotiations in the Canada Gazette. Please see the following link for more details: Notice of Intent to Conduct an Environmental Assessment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement.
Through this Notice of Intent we invited comments to inform the negotiations, specifically to identify and evaluate likely and significant environmental impacts in Canada of the Canada-TPP Agreement. The closing date for submissions was January 30, 2013; however, we still welcome input through our regular consultation channels. Submissions are currently being reviewed.
Related Links
- Bilateral Relations
Contact Point
Trade Policy and Negotiations Division (Trans-Pacific Partnership)
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0G2
Email: TPP-PTPconsultations@international.gc.ca
