Australia and New Zealand

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in its submission to an Australian Senate committee tasked with reviewing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, expressed concern that the United States would demand that Australia take on additional commitments on biologic drugs before the agreement can enter into force for the country – citing precedent in the certification process of the two countries' bilateral free trade agreement.

Ambassadors from Trans-Pacific Partnership countries this week pledged to accelerate their efforts to ensure the agreement is passed during a lame-duck session of Congress and reiterated the importance of the United States to the global trading system and its TPP partners.

New Zealand's ambassador to the U.S. said Tuesday that the Trans-Pacific Partnership has a chance to pass Congress in a lame-duck session despite congressional leaders' insistence that the votes aren't there, reiterating his stance that a successful TPP vote will depend largely on support from House Republicans.

As Congress heads into a recess that will last until after the Nov. 8 elections, the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s ultimate fate in a lame-duck session remains unclear with Republican leadership this week saying it will not be considered in either chamber while some sources suggest the Obama administration has created the conditions for a vote to occur later this year.

“All Australian government and business leaders have been unanimous in urging the American Congress to ratify this treaty.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) this week said the Obama administration has promised to satisfy his demand of including 12 years of market exclusivity for biologics in the implementing bill for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but noted that he is waiting to receive that pledge in writing.

Agricultural safeguards for certain dairy products that the U.S. has negotiated with Australia, New Zealand and Peru in the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be applied automatically -- except in emergencies -- if imports of the products exceed a set amount, according to the U.S. chief agriculture negotiator Darci Vetter.