No Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement

The Obama administration's Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, is currently involved in negotiations to complete a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement with the following nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Representatives of the United States and these ten other nations will meet in Auckland, New Zealand, during December 3-12, 2012, for the 15th round of TPP negotiations.

Free trade agreement? How could anyone be opposed to a free trade agreement? The answer, very simply, is that economic integration is always followed by political integration. Is economic integration the initial goal of the TPP? Indeed it is, and that goal is so stated in the “Trans- Pacific Partnership Frequently Asked Questions” section of the official website of the the United States Trade Representative (http://www.ustr.gov/tpp), which candidly states: “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a vehicle for Asia-Pacific-wide economic integration.” Further indicating TPP’s goal, the group’s organizers boldly propose their “vision of negotiating a high-standard, 21st century regional agreement.” In other words, the TPP conference in New Zealand will be a grand step toward gaining nation-by-nation approval of another sovereignty-compromising trade agreement.

As stated by proponents of this latest attack on national sovereignty, the bait being used to build sentiment toward an eventual Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement is “jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity.” This is exactly what lured 27 nations in Europe to enter into the European Union. None were told that they were joining a sovereignty-compromising political group, but many Europeans now realize that this is precisely what happened. It will surely happen to the United States and other nations if their leaders continue down the rosy path being laid out for them by the TPP.

Trade agreements have to be approved by both Houses of Congress (as was NAFTA). Each member of Congress therefore, and especially those newly elected, must be alerted by constituents. “No Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement” is the message. The independence of our country requires that you begin to act on this project. But also start to contact business leaders, city and community officials, and others to ask that they, too, alert U.S. senators and representatives about coming proposals arising from the TPP negotiations and the trade pact agreement that will follow.