Report 181: The new Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (JSC) has this month released Report 181 on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Report 181).

The JSC stated categorically that it 'supports the ratification of the TPP 11'. This article provides some high level observations of Report 181.

Report 181 follows Report 165 tabled in November 2016. After the date of that report, the United States notified the other parties that the United States would not ratify the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

The treaty which is the subject of Report 181 is a separate document to the TPP but one which incorporates into it most of the provisions of the TPP. The new document is known as the TPP 11. Notably, the parties to the TPP 11 have agreed to suspend 22 provisions which were incorporated into the TPP (suspended provisions).