Australia and New Zealand

Australia's trade minister, Steven Ciobo, said this week he is “cautiously optimistic” about the Trans-Pacific Partnership getting through the U.S. Congress in a post-election lame-duck session and cited “some really good meetings” with key members of Congress, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), on the market exclusivity period for biologic drugs.

Australia's ambassador to the United States has made clear to the U.S. government and business groups that demanding commitments beyond those reflected in the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a nonstarter, regardless of the form they would take.

The fight over the period of market exclusivity for biologics under the Trans-Pacific Partnership has become a point of controversy in Australia's federal election slated for July, with the opposition Labor Party charging that the current government seeking reelection will concede to further changes to the marketing exclusivity period for biologics with the effect of driving up drug prices.

New Zealand's Parliament on May 12 narrowly approved the first of three readings of a bill to implement its Trans-Pacific Partnership obligations in a 62 to 59 vote.