The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Looking Ahead to the Next Steps

Abstract

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) represents the chance to set a trade agenda for the future across a wide range of topics for countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This means that the agreement should not be settled in haste. It also means that key decisions need to be reached about broader issues related to the institutional structure of the TPP. These decisions must be made now, before the deal is closed, on issues such as how to create the TPP as a living agreement, the formation of a TPP Secretariat, and the clarification of entry conditions for future members.

Keywords: free trade agreements, trans-pacific partnership, accession, living agreement, tpp secretariat, regional integration

JEL Classification: F13, F55