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Deutsche Welle reports on failed round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) negotiations:
Sticking points were said to have included differences over protecting regional food specialties, the auto trade, and protection for drug makers.
Among other things, New Zealand, the world's largest dairy exporter, has said it will not back a deal that does not significantly open dairy markets.
The question of data protection for drug manufacturers was also a bone of contention, with the US wanting data on biological drug development to remain monopolized for 12 years, as compared with Australia's five years.
The deputy trade minister from Chile, which has no protection at all for drugmakers, said any deal must reconcile public needs with commercial interest. "For us it's vital to have an agreement that balances public policy goals for intellectual property in medicines," Minister Andres Rebolledo said.
The New Zealanders are upset about their distant Canadian cousins protecting their dairy industry, the NZ stuff reports:
The heavily protected Canadian dairy industry has earned the wrath of Federated Farmers president Dr William Rolleston for standing in the way of a good deal for dairy in the Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks in Hawaii.
Rolleston said the public position of the Canadians was "unacceptable".A 2014 paper written by Canadian academic and former Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay says it costs a Canadian family about $300 a year to prop up the dairy industry.
The Canadian government slaps on quotas of 246 percent for cheese, and almost 300 percent for butter.
Outside key dairy electorates, the supply management system that protects farmers is not popular.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday August 02 2015, @01:21PM
I think you read too much into it. DW may have been the first on the Google news search because, due to a more favourable timezone, they were the first international news team to collate the reactions of individual countries.
In the morning, I got from aussie news only aussies' grumbling - the sugar issue seemed to be the most upsetting*. Anyway, I googled for more and DW was listed quite high and had a more comprehensive coverage, so I picked them as good enough for SN breaking
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* with the Trade Minister denying (a little bit too "categorically") that "he’d negotiated trade-offs on intellectual property in return for market access". He used the sly term of "looking for a balance" [theaustralian.com.au] - a sign that he'd probable accept to bend forward and lower our pants if the price is right for him/his party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday August 02 2015, @02:02PM
Fair enough. Your original point that this is the first official public discussion of what's in the TPP is a very solid one, which led me to speculate. Official sources have been very good at keeping mum about the whole affair until now. What changed? Is it an intentional leak because they can feel the public pressure against the TPP building and want to spin it in a positive light, or did somebody in officialdom break ranks for payback or some other reason?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday August 02 2015, @10:07PM
This was supposed to be the last round of TPP negotiations, the so called "make or break". Since it broke, other rounds may follow but, if it is to believe the signs of this one, the differences between the countries may be too large to result in a meaningful common ground.
Keep in mind that the treaty will need to be ratified by the legislative of each countries; those people may start looking into the prospects of being reelected if they upset their constituents, the corporatocracy doesn't pay all of them or involve all of them in a revolving door (as yet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford