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TPP

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP or TPP for short) is a trade and investment agreement that was signed on 7 March 2018 between 11 Pacific Rim countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The pact went into force on 30 December 2018 among the members who have ratified it. The US withdrew from it in January 2017.

The investment chapter includes investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions. Civil society groups have blasted the mechanism, as it gives a foreign investor or company disproportionate powers vis-à-vis governments or domestic companies. Foreign investors can resort to a parallel system of justice specifically made for them to challenge public health, the environment and other public-interest ‘safeguards’, and bypass national justice courts.

Photo: Blink O’Fanaye / CC BY-NC 2.0

(March 2020)

TPP text shows some impacts from community campaigns, but still favours corporate rights over citizens and communities
AFTINET | 5-Nov-2015
Preliminary analysis of the thousands of pages of the main chapters of the TPP text show there are still devils in the detail on medicine monopolies, investor rights to sue governments and copyright monopolies.
actions | resistance , CPTPP , intellectual property , investor-state disputes | ISDS , medicines
Despite assurances to contrary, intellectual property covered asset for TPP ISDS mechanism
KEI | 5-Nov-2015
Despite assurances from the contrary by Australia and USTR, intellectual property is a covered asset subject to Investor State Dispute Settlement
CPTPP , intellectual property , investor-state disputes | ISDS
Japan releases TPP details – Vietnam to abolish tariffs and economic needs test
Lexology | 3-Nov-2015
Besides abolishing tariffs and providing for investor-state dispute settlement, some of Vietnam’s highlights under the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact include removing the dreaded economic needs test
CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , regulation , Vietnam
Joseph Stiglitz: under TPP, polluters could sue U.S. for setting carbon emissions limits
Democracy Now | 30-Oct-2015
The basic point is that TPP is a trade agreement that has all kinds of provisions intended to restrict regulations.
climate , CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , regulation , video
Shallow justifications for TPPA
| 28-Oct-2015
Catherine Beard claims there is no problem with the ability of corporations to sue the New Zealand government in offshore tribunals for loss of profits under the TPPA. She bases this on "commissioned research" from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER).
corporate interests , CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , New Zealand
TPP sets limit on corporate suits
The Japan News | 23-Oct-2015
The Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact limits the period for foreign companies to file damages lawsuits against host states over sudden regulatory changes to 3½ years
CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Japan
Lessons from NAFTA for the TPP
SUNS | 21-Oct-2015
There are many lessons from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that are relevant to the current debate over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Canada , CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , Mexico , NAFTA | USMCA , US
TPP: el verdadero debate está comenzando
Red del Tercer Mundo | 16-Oct-2015
Finalmente concluyeron las negociaciones sobre el Acuerdo de Asociación Transpacífico (TPP). Si bien el texto oficial aún no se ha hecho público, a partir de informes de prensa y textos filtrados pueden hacerse algunos comentarios preliminares. En primer lugar, el comercio es solo una parte del TPP.
CPTPP , intellectual property , investor-state disputes | ISDS , medicines
Trading away land rights
Triple Crisis | 15-Oct-2015
TPP, investment agreements, and the governance of land
CPTPP , indigenous peoples , investor-state disputes | ISDS , land
Canada has an ISDS clause with the US. It has faced 35 challenges. Is this Australia’s future?
The Conversation | 9-Oct-2015
Up until now, Australia has never agreed to provide American investors with access to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), whereas Canada has. In total Canada has faced 35 challenges. Australia has been subjected to only one case.
Australia , Canada , CPTPP , investor-state disputes | ISDS , US