Covering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) International Center for Journalists Dec. 14, 2015

What is the TPP? A major trade agreement between 12 countries, including the U.S. and Vietnam It would eliminate or greatly reduce (over time) more than 18,000 tariffs and other barriers, such as quotas, red tape The world’s largest free trade agreement, with members accounting for 40 percent of the global economy

Who belongs? U.S., Canada, Mexico Chile, Peru Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore

Map of member countries (CRS via Vox) https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-2pZ0tbzXqmBasLDiRI1EfhaSMg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox- cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3687810/tpp_countries.0.0.png

Can other countries join? Yes, as long as existing members agree Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, have already expressed interest Who’s missing? China

Latest developments Agreed (drafted) Oct. 5, 2015 in Atlanta after 5 years of negotiation Full text was released one month later (on Medium.com) More than 6,000 pages, 30 chapters, annexes

What’s next? Each country has to ratify the deal Political pressures, opposition in some countries

Good explainers

The U.S. View Economic Strategic Values Domestic opposition

The Vietnamese View Investment Garments Structural Reform Labor unions Geopolitics Biggest winner may be VN (Bloomberg)

Key issues Autos Agricultural Garments/textiles SMEs Intellectual property Drugs Services Environment

Sources and resources Actual text of the TPP (on medium.com) Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) site on TPP text TPP fact sheets: https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free- trade-agreements/trans-pacific-partnership/tpp-fact- sheets The US Embassy in Hanoi: http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/tpp.html

What kinds of stories can journalists write? Brainstorm… Process Explainers Impact How are countries/sectors preparing?

Samples TPP stories The Biggest winner from the TPP trade deal may be Vietnam (Bloomberg) How TPP could make things sticky for Quebec’s maple-syrup producers How the trade deal might stir up your dinner (NPR) How the TPP could change where your clothes come from http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/11/11/9715652/tpp-textiles- clothes-garments (VOX) TPP would allow milk from cows receiving hormones into Canada Microsoft: TPP trade pact puts 'line in the sand' against digital protectionism Vietnam livestock industry needs complete overhaul to cope with TPP: ministry (Tuoi Tre)