United States Trade Representative Michael Froman says the final Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement won’t be made at the Asia Pacific Economic Summit later this month in Beijing. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall agrees and says Japan has not budged on giving up protections for what they call sensitive agricultural products.
President Obama is planning to attend APEC and is expected to talk about a way forward on the long awaited trade deal. Woodall says whether or not he can convince Japan to go along and eliminate those tariffs and come to the table is the big question.
Woodall says he doesn’t see Congress moving anything on TPP during the lame duck session following the election either. He says Japan and the other TPP countries know the U.S. Congress is focused on other priorities and likely won’t put pressure on them to move on negotiations.
Woodall says if U.S. negotiators allow Japan to move forward without budging on tariffs then his group will lobby against approving the TPP.