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| Turnbull: Trans-Pacific Partnership 'a foundation stone for future prosperity’ | Turnbull: Trans-Pacific Partnership 'a foundation stone for future prosperity’ |
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| Australia has resisted a United States push to make changes to medicine patent rules and will gain “enormous benefits” from increased market access across the Asia-Pacific in a 12-country trade deal, the Turnbull government has said. | Australia has resisted a United States push to make changes to medicine patent rules and will gain “enormous benefits” from increased market access across the Asia-Pacific in a 12-country trade deal, the Turnbull government has said. |
| The trade minister, Andrew Robb, joined representatives of the other countries, including the US, Japan, New Zealand and Canada, to announce the conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in Atlanta on Monday. | The trade minister, Andrew Robb, joined representatives of the other countries, including the US, Japan, New Zealand and Canada, to announce the conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in Atlanta on Monday. |
| Related: TPP deal: US and 11 other countries reach landmark Pacific trade pact | Related: TPP deal: US and 11 other countries reach landmark Pacific trade pact |
| But the text of the 30-chapter deal could remain secret for weeks, leaving it to governments to promote the benefits. Critics renewed their concerns about the lack of detail, including on the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism that would allow companies to sue governments. | But the text of the 30-chapter deal could remain secret for weeks, leaving it to governments to promote the benefits. Critics renewed their concerns about the lack of detail, including on the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism that would allow companies to sue governments. |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, hailed the deal as a “gigantic foundation stone for our future prosperity” and said Australia had succeeded in resisting a push to extend protections for big pharmaceutical companies that release new drugs. | The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, hailed the deal as a “gigantic foundation stone for our future prosperity” and said Australia had succeeded in resisting a push to extend protections for big pharmaceutical companies that release new drugs. |
| Such an extension would have increased the time before cheaper, generic drugs could come onto the market, driving up the cost for Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. | Such an extension would have increased the time before cheaper, generic drugs could come onto the market, driving up the cost for Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. |
| Robb, who had described it as a “red-line issue”, said the TPP would require no changes to Australia’s patent system and copyright regime. | Robb, who had described it as a “red-line issue”, said the TPP would require no changes to Australia’s patent system and copyright regime. |
| Related: From cars to cough medicine: why the Trans-Pacific Partnership matters to you | Related: From cars to cough medicine: why the Trans-Pacific Partnership matters to you |
| “The government has delivered on its promise not to change Australia’s existing five years of data protection for biologic medicines or any other part of our health system, including our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,” he said on Tuesday. | “The government has delivered on its promise not to change Australia’s existing five years of data protection for biologic medicines or any other part of our health system, including our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,” he said on Tuesday. |
| “Concerns that the price of medicines would increase have proven to be absolutely unfounded.” | “Concerns that the price of medicines would increase have proven to be absolutely unfounded.” |
| Turnbull said he had spoken about the issue with the US president, Barack Obama, in a “long discussion” last week. The prime minister said he had also “spent many hours on the phone” with Robb, which had prolonged the negotiations in Atlanta. | Turnbull said he had spoken about the issue with the US president, Barack Obama, in a “long discussion” last week. The prime minister said he had also “spent many hours on the phone” with Robb, which had prolonged the negotiations in Atlanta. |
| “Andrew has done an extraordinary job for Australia. I think it is a very big win,” Turnbull told 3AW radio. | “Andrew has done an extraordinary job for Australia. I think it is a very big win,” Turnbull told 3AW radio. |
| “What this means is that in an age of a rapidly globalising economy, where services are more important than ever ... where Australia is an open economy with relatively low tariffs anyway ... this is a gigantic foundation stone for our future prosperity.” | “What this means is that in an age of a rapidly globalising economy, where services are more important than ever ... where Australia is an open economy with relatively low tariffs anyway ... this is a gigantic foundation stone for our future prosperity.” |
| The 12 countries in the TPP account for about 40% of global gross domestic product. | The 12 countries in the TPP account for about 40% of global gross domestic product. |
| According to a summary released by the Australian government, the deal would further cut tariffs on exports of beef to Japan, eliminate barriers on beef into Mexico and Canada within 10 years, and scrap the safeguard on beef exports that was included in Australia’s previous free trade agreement with the United States. | According to a summary released by the Australian government, the deal would further cut tariffs on exports of beef to Japan, eliminate barriers on beef into Mexico and Canada within 10 years, and scrap the safeguard on beef exports that was included in Australia’s previous free trade agreement with the United States. |
| [We have] delivered on the promise not to change the existing five years of data protection for biologic medicines | [We have] delivered on the promise not to change the existing five years of data protection for biologic medicines |
| The government said the Australian sugar industry would be allowed an extra 65,000 tonnes of base allocation of access to the US market, and a 23% share of additional allocations, although Robb told the ABC it was “not as much as we wanted” and “the sugar people will be disappointed”. | The government said the Australian sugar industry would be allowed an extra 65,000 tonnes of base allocation of access to the US market, and a 23% share of additional allocations, although Robb told the ABC it was “not as much as we wanted” and “the sugar people will be disappointed”. |
| Australia would be able to export more rice to Japan, and access for dairy products would also be improved, according to the government summary. There are also tariff cuts for cereals, wine, seafood, iron ore, copper, nickel, liquefied natural gas, refined petroleum, iron and steel products, and automotive parts. | Australia would be able to export more rice to Japan, and access for dairy products would also be improved, according to the government summary. There are also tariff cuts for cereals, wine, seafood, iron ore, copper, nickel, liquefied natural gas, refined petroleum, iron and steel products, and automotive parts. |
| Robb said the investment chapter included “a modern” investor-state dispute settlement mechanism “which contains safeguards to protect legitimate government regulation in the areas of health and the environment”. | Robb said the investment chapter included “a modern” investor-state dispute settlement mechanism “which contains safeguards to protect legitimate government regulation in the areas of health and the environment”. |
| “Australia will be able to ensure that tobacco control measures are never open to challenge, an issue on which we have been a leading voice,” he said. | “Australia will be able to ensure that tobacco control measures are never open to challenge, an issue on which we have been a leading voice,” he said. |
| Labor reaffirmed its opposition to investor-state dispute settlement provisions and vowed to carefully scrutinise the details. | |
| The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, and the party’s trade spokeswoman, Penny Wong, said the TPP had “significant potential benefits for Australia” but the government must release the text as soon as possible. | |
| “Right now, the government is asking Australians to take its word for it,” they said in a joint statement. | |
| The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he was not satisfied with the assurances about the dispute mechanism. | The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he was not satisfied with the assurances about the dispute mechanism. |
| Related: TPP or not TPP? What's the Trans-Pacific Partnership and should we support it? | Related: TPP or not TPP? What's the Trans-Pacific Partnership and should we support it? |
| “The exemptions and carve-outs haven’t worked in other trade deals,” he said. “Once you’ve given special rights to sue through these shady tribunals it’s very hard to stop them taking strategic litigation.” | “The exemptions and carve-outs haven’t worked in other trade deals,” he said. “Once you’ve given special rights to sue through these shady tribunals it’s very hard to stop them taking strategic litigation.” |
| Whish-Wilson pointed to the New Zealand government’s reluctance to push ahead with plain packaging laws for tobacco until there was a result in the Philip Morris case against Australia under a trade deal with Hong Kong. | Whish-Wilson pointed to the New Zealand government’s reluctance to push ahead with plain packaging laws for tobacco until there was a result in the Philip Morris case against Australia under a trade deal with Hong Kong. |
| He issued a broader critique of the TPP process. “It’s just totally flawed; it gives the government the chance to go out and spin another ‘win-win’ trade deal that we know absolutely nothing about.” | He issued a broader critique of the TPP process. “It’s just totally flawed; it gives the government the chance to go out and spin another ‘win-win’ trade deal that we know absolutely nothing about.” |
| The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network warned that “the devil is in the detail” and the full text might not be released for another month. | The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network warned that “the devil is in the detail” and the full text might not be released for another month. |
| Patricia Ranald, who coordinates the network, said: “The announcement of a secret ‘in principle’ TPP deal without publication of the text may hide shameful trade-offs on issues like medicines and corporate rights to sue governments. These should be decided though open democratic parliamentary processes, not secretly traded away for token access to sugar or dairy markets.” | Patricia Ranald, who coordinates the network, said: “The announcement of a secret ‘in principle’ TPP deal without publication of the text may hide shameful trade-offs on issues like medicines and corporate rights to sue governments. These should be decided though open democratic parliamentary processes, not secretly traded away for token access to sugar or dairy markets.” |
| The Australian Council of Trade Unions raised concern the negotiations had favoured big corporations and the TPP had been agreed “without the Australian public being privy to details which have ramifications for our sovereignty, intellectual property rights and jobs”. | |
| “Australian unions support trade deals with outcomes that are balanced, support jobs, protect the rights of working people and promote a healthy environment – there’s a great probability that TPP deal does not achieve this,” the peak union body said in a statement. | |
| The ACTU president, Ged Kearney, asked why the details were still hidden if it was such a good deal. | |
| Greenpeace also criticised the lack of transparency. Emma Gibson, the head of program for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, asked whether a multinational backer of an environmentally hazardous mining project could seek to overturn an Australian court’s refusal to approve it in a special tribunal. | |
| But the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kate Carnell, praised the agreement, saying it would eliminate 98% of tariffs in the TPP region. | But the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kate Carnell, praised the agreement, saying it would eliminate 98% of tariffs in the TPP region. |
| “This deal will smooth the way for Australia to play a greater role in the global economy by opening up borders to goods and services,” she said. | “This deal will smooth the way for Australia to play a greater role in the global economy by opening up borders to goods and services,” she said. |
| “While no deal is perfect, this one achieves substantial advances for Australian agricultural producers, service industries and manufacturers while also leaving Australian consumers better off.” | |
| The Australian Industry Group’s chief executive, Innes Willox, said the TPP had the potential to transform industry’s engagement across the Pacific. | |
| “It gives easier access into markets that have been particularly tough nuts to crack,” he said. | |
| “Our experience in some free trade agreements has been that non-tariff barriers have increased, negating the benefits of tariff reductions. We are pleased to see that negotiators have included mechanisms to address non-tariff barriers within the agreement, ensuring that it is a dynamic and practical tool for ongoing trade access.” | |
| The National Farmers’ Federation said the TPP would improve market access for a range of agricultural commodities, including red meat, dairy, fibre and grains, and built on existing trade agreements. | |
| The NFF said it was “regrettable that more leadership was not demonstrated by the likes of the US in sectors such as sugar” but there was no doubt Australia needed to be a party to the TPP. “The nature of agreement means that exclusion from a completed TPP agreement would have delivered significant negative outcomes for Australian agriculture.” | |
| The TPP does not include China, whose recent bilateral trade agreement with Australia has been at the centre of a political dispute in Canberra about job safeguards. | The TPP does not include China, whose recent bilateral trade agreement with Australia has been at the centre of a political dispute in Canberra about job safeguards. |