Author Archives: CanucksBanter

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade : Trans-Pacific Partnership Members Advance Negotiations in Brunei

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08/30/2013 | 12:33pm US/Eastern   http://www.4-traders.com

Opening new markets and creating new sources of prosperity the Harper government’s focus as Canada continues to play important role in negotiations 

August 30, 2013 – The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today marked the conclusion of the 19th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which took place in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, from August 22 to 30, 2013. Minister Fast was in Brunei last week to participate in a meeting of all TPP trade ministers.

“Opening new markets and creating good jobs, economic growth and greater prosperity for Canadian workers and families is why our government is pursuing deeper trade and investment ties in the fast-growing and dynamic Asia-Pacific region,” said Minister Fast. “The TPP negotiations are a key pillar of our government’s pro-trade plan, and I am pleased that Canada is playing a constructive and important role as we work to advance our interests and conclude an ambitious agreement in a timely manner.”

During the 19th round, negotiators built on the progress made to date in several areas, including on goods market access, rules of origin, investment, services, financial services, temporary entry, intellectual property, government procurement and environment.

Officials also wrapped up a technical meeting on labour provisions, which was held in Ottawa from August 26 to 29, 2013.

Twelve countries are currently participating in the TPP negotiations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Canada formally joined the negotiations on October 8, 2012.

The TPP market represents more than 792 million people and a combined GDP of $27.5 trillion-more than 38 percent of the world’s economy. An ambitious agreement that greatly reduces barriers to trade will benefit workers and families in every region of Canada by providing greater access for Canadian exporters to large, dynamic and fast-growing markets. And as Canada is at the international forefront of trade liberalization, the TPP will also improve Canada’s international competitiveness by solidifying our participation in lucrative trading blocs with fast-growing economies.

For more information, please visit Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Negotiations.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Rudy Husny
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade
613-992-7332
rudy.husny@international.gc.ca

TPP talks on tariffs advance as Brunei round ends

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Kyodo News International               August 30, 2013

Japan and 11 other Pacific Rim countries wrapped up the 19th round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations in Brunei on Friday, saying they have advanced work on tariffs and other key subjects while agreeing to hold more working-level negotiations in coming weeks.

During the nine-day round since Aug. 22, Japan proposed eliminating tariffs on around 80 percent of imported products, and plans to raise the offer to over 90 percent in subsequent negotiations, sources said.

The 12 participating countries, including the United States, are now arranging a meeting of chief negotiators in Washington Sept. 18-21 as they pursue the goal of concluding a deal by a year-end deadline, according to Japanese officials.

The Brunei round was the last round of full-scale negotiations, with the countries now expected to focus on intersessional meetings involving only one or two working groups from now on, one source said.

In a statement released at the end of the Brunei round, the TPP countries said, “Negotiators advanced their technical work this round on the texts covering market access,” which deals with tariff cuts, and numerous other fields such as fishing subsidies and intellectual property.

Market access is one of the issues that Japan is keen to discuss as it faces strong domestic pressure to protect rice and four other sensitive farm products by retaining tariffs it levies on imports of those items.

Japan’s chief negotiator Koji Tsuruoka said at a press conference that the nation has held bilateral tariff negotiations with all TPP countries other than Chile and Peru this time.

Japan exchanged lists of proposals on tariff-free items with six countries — Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, New Zealand, Mexico and Peru, a source familiar with the matter said.

The negotiations with the United States and Australia did not involve an exchange of a list of proposal on tariff-free items as the United States has said it can only table its offer in September while Australia awaits a general election on Sept. 7.

Tsuruoka indicated a plan to raise the ratio of tariff-free items, saying Japan’s counterparts who received its tariff proposals have said there is still much room for improvement.

Under the 13 existing free trade agreements concluded by Japan, the percentage of items on which Tokyo agreed to eliminate tariffs within 10 years ranges from 84.4 percent to 88.4 percent of the total.

If Japan agrees to abolish all tariffs other than those on its five key farm product categories — rice, wheat, beef and pork (counted as one), dairy products and sugar — the tariff-free percentage would rise to 93.5 percent.

The latest TPP statement also said, “Negotiators will meet again intersessionally in the coming weeks to further their work” toward the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit scheduled to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in early October.

The TPP countries have been aiming to reach a basic agreement in October and conclude a deal by the end of the year. Ministers of the 12 TPP members reaffirmed the target after meeting in the first two days of the Brunei round last week.

The countries involved in the TPP negotiations are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.

Japan only joined the TPP talks near the end of the Malaysia round held in July, and the latest Brunei round was the first full round it participated in.

The TPP negotiations stretch over 21 fields as the members are aiming for creation of a comprehensive free trade pact covering nearly 40 percent of global economic output and about a third of world trade. The latest round dealt with 10 of the fields.

While most of the working groups finished negotiations for this round, some are expected to continue their work through Saturday.

TPP sources have said some groups were not as successful as desired, including the one on the environment, which made less than 40 percent of the progress expected.

==Kyodo

The True Meaning of Labour Day

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Paul Moist Paul Moist

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

08/30/2013    http://www.huffingtonpost.ca

Labour Day is a time to celebrate the role of workers in the economy and address the real economic issues of our time.

Labour Day is about more than a well-deserved day off. It is a time to celebrate the important contributions working people make to our economy. It is also a good time to reflect on what is needed to improve the economic and social well-being for all workers.

Working people are the engine of the economy. The work we do, the services we provide and the money we spend drive the economy. But, in 2013 the economy is failing working people. Downward pressure on wages and government austerity programs are resulting in layoffs, contracting out, privatization of public services while families struggle to make ends meet. The rich are getting richer and the debt load of working people is increasing. It is no wonder our economy is experiencing such slow growth.

Economic recovery is being undermined by federal government actions over the last two years that erode workers wages, including: exploitation and fast-tracking approval for business to employ temporary foreign workers at wages below market rates; cuts to Employment Insurance and forcing workers to work at lower wages, continuous interference in the collective bargaining process on the side of employers, as well as attacks on unions and labour rights. These measures all need to be reversed and replaced by policies that support, rather than undercut real wage increases for workers.

At the same time, workers need a retirement security system in Canada to support our economy and provide economic security after a lifetime of work. It is a central economic problem today. Without adequate retirement incomes, we will pay with reduced living standards and an increase in seniors’ poverty. These outcomes, will, in turn, cost taxpayer money through programs like the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement and provincial and territorial income support and social assistance programs.

But, study after study shows that Canadians are not saving enough for retirement, and that this problem will only get worse as future generations retire. These troubling projections demonstrate the shortcomings of an increasingly individualized retirement income system. Working people are increasingly told their retirement security is their own problem. Save more for your own retirement at the same time your real wages are declining and debt level increasing?

The answer is clear. The economy needs a raise — disposable incomes need to rise to increase demand and create good jobs and economic growth. And we need to build an economy that sustains jobs with decent incomes for the next generation.

As we celebrate Labour Day this year, let’s really celebrate the contribution of working people by continuing to press for economic change to reverse growing income inequality. Press for economic change to drive the economy through higher wages and economic change to ensure all Canadians can retire in dignity.

Workers can count on the labour movement to do just that. We do that through collective bargaining and political action on behalf of all working people. And on this labour day, as national president of Canada’s largest union, I repeat my call to the government of Canada to convene a national pension summit where we can roll up our sleeves and address the affordability issues with defined benefit pension plans and re-tool the Canada Pension Plan so that it will continue to provide economic security for all Canadian retirees for generations to come.