Levin Pushes Congress to Focus on TPP, Not Trade Promotion Authority
The Trans-Pacific Partnership could remove some Canadian dairy tariffs that range from 250 to 300 percent, and also non-tariff barriers, said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sandy Levin, D-Mich., in an April 9 speech at the Center for American Progress. U.S. auto producers could also benefit from the elimination of the 35 percent tariff Malaysia imposes, said Levin. Congress should now prioritize TPP negotiations over Trade Promotion Authority, said Levin, because Congress is not adequately engaged in trade negotiations in the current trade policy framework.
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TPP still faces significant obstacles, said Levin. “We have never negotiated a free trade agreement with an economy as large as Japan’s,” said Levin, arguing TPA will not help entice Japanese concessions. “The negotiations also include Vietnam, a communist country with a very poor record on labor rights and the rule of law. We have also never negotiated a free trade agreement directly with a communist country.” The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has spent significant time on Capitol Hill briefing Congress on the TPP, but congressional consultation still needs to increase, said Levin. “Because TPP addresses a broad range of policy areas, more Members of Congress must play a key role -- and Congress as a whole must play a greater role -- in TPP,” said Levin. “We need to involve the Members of our committees with jurisdiction over trade, but also Members of other committees that have expertise with the issues under negotiations, and other Members also have important roles to play.” Levin vowed to launch a TPP working group in the coming weeks.