Industry Groups Insist on No Carve Outs in TPP, Press Partners to Join IT Agreement

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) should continue to insist on comprehensive tariff elimination in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the immediate elimination of tariffs on as many industrial products as possible, said nearly 20 U.S. industry associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers, in a letter July 11 to USTR chief Michael Froman. The U.S. should not permit “product exclusions or carve outs,” said the letter, while emphasizing Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam are the most critical partners in the agreement for the U.S. because the U.S. does not currently hold trade agreements with those countries. “We urge the immediate elimination of tariffs in TPP partner countries on U.S. manufactured exports, including in particular, automobiles and motor vehicle parts; chemicals; agricultural, construction, electrical, and mining equipment and machinery; leather products; plastics and polymers; remanufactured goods; steel, copper and aluminum products; paper and wood products and distilled spirits,” said the letter. All TPP countries should also join the World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement as part of their TPP commitments, said the letter. The U.S. is currently pressing China to concede more tariff lines as part of an Information Technology Agreement expansion (see 14070911). Among the TPP participants, Brunei, Chile and Mexico are not party to the agreement (here).