Chamber of Commerce Endorses TPP; Sen. Brown Concerned with Auto Provisions
After three months of review, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 6 became the third business group this week (see 1601050033 and 1601040026) to publicly endorse the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But the agreement also picked up another public detractor, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who said TPP could hurt auto jobs in the U.S. Opinions vary on timing for a TPP vote, though several staffers on Capitol Hill said a vote isn’t expected in the near future. Officials from the 12 nations involved in the pact hope to sign the agreement, confirming TPP’s exact wording, in February.
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The Chamber highlighted the agreement's provisions ending all tariffs on U.S. exports of manufactured goods. “No trade agreement is perfect, and the TPP is no exception,” chamber CEO Thomas Donohue said in a statement. “However, the benefits of a trade agreement lie in how it is interpreted, implemented, and enforced. With that in mind, we’re rolling up our sleeves to work with the administration, Congress and our TPP partners to ensure the agreement is implemented in a way that maximizes its commercial benefits, including market access, rules, and intellectual property protections. We intend to see this job through to the end—to the agreement’s entry-into-force and beyond.”
As the chamber voiced its support, Brown became the latest Senate critic of the deal, saying in a statement that it will stifle the recovery of U.S. auto markets after U.S. car sales hit a record high in 2015, and hamper potential job growth within the American auto industry (here). “Today’s news that auto sales are at a record high is proof that the auto recovery worked and auto workers in Ohio and across the country are key to growing our economy,” Brown said. “To continue that progress and protect jobs, we must ensure a level playing field for America’s auto suppliers, but TPP and its weak auto provisions stand to roll back recovery and cost Ohio jobs, so we must continue fighting for a better deal for American auto jobs.”