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Criticism of TPP heats up over its secretive nature

LAHAINA (HAWAII) — With negotiations for a controversial Pacific free-trade deal appearing close to conclusion, protesters are intensifying criticism against what they see as the secretive nature of the pact, as trade ministers struggled to overcome differences such as the patent-protection period for biological medicines, and beef tariffs.

LAHAINA (HAWAII) — With negotiations for a controversial Pacific free-trade deal appearing close to conclusion, protesters are intensifying criticism against what they see as the secretive nature of the pact, as trade ministers struggled to overcome differences such as the patent-protection period for biological medicines, and beef tariffs.

Dozens of people, including environmental activists, labour-rights advocates and academics, gathered to rally against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on the beach in front of a luxury hotel on the Hawaiian island of Maui, where a make-or-break ministerial meeting of 12 Pacific countries is being held behind closed doors.

“(The national governments of the TPP negotiating members) don’t talk about it (the pact) very much. When they talk about it, they don’t disclose a whole lot of information,” said Ms Briana Hurley, who took part in the protest. “We notice a lot of corporations are making rules for the agreement. If you look at these corporations and the past decisions they have made, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be good for the common people,” she said.

The protesters are particularly concerned about the data-monopoly period for biological drugs that would boost big pharmaceutical firms’ profits, but may restrict the production of cheaper generic medicines.

“There still remains a huge gap” among TPP countries over uniformly setting a period for patenting medicines, Japanese Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari told reporters on Wednesday, the second day of the ministerial meeting.

America has been in conflict with Australia and emerging Asian economies over data-exclusivity periods for new medicines.

While there have been reports that the United States has shown flexibility over the issue, Mr Amari said he does not have such a feeling, signalling that more concessions need to be made to resolve this problem.

After more than five years of talks, expectations for striking a deal rose after US President Barack Obama secured fast-track negotiating authority late last month for global trade deals.

The lack of such power was widely seen as discouraging bolder bargaining by other negotiating members, out of fear that the US Congress could tear apart any deal reached.

On a bilateral track, the US is arranging to abolish its tariffs on imports of Japanese beef over a period of about 10 years under the TPP, sources said. Washington is also planning to expand its low-tariff quota to 3,000 tonnes, a 15-fold increase, as soon as the pact takes effect, the sources added.

“The important thing is that tariffs (on Japanese beef) will be abolished in the end. Our demand is taking shape,” Mr Amari told reporters on Wednesday.

For the TPP’s eventual success, Japan and the US, the two largest economies accounting for about 80 per cent of gross domestic product in the framework, must resolve their differences over the liberalisation of agricultural goods and automotive parts.

However, they still have the difficult task of finalising a bilateral accord on opening up Japan’s rice market and abolishing US tariffs on vehicle parts.

The four-day meeting on the TPP, which started on Tuesday and is expected to end today, is viewed as the final opportunity to cut a deal by the end of the year.

The initiative would stretch from Chile and Canada to Japan and Singapore, and cover about 40 per cent of global output. KYODO NEWS

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