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Mega-regional FTAs

Image credit: Ana María Palacio/pacificallianceblog.com


In the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008, several large new trade deals have been proposed to supposedly boost production, trade and growth outside the frame of the World Trade Organisation. These deals are called “mega-regionals” because they are not between two countries alone and involve large shares of world trade or investment. The following fall into this category:

 the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) between the US, Japan and 10 other countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam);
 the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the 28-member European Union and the US;
 the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement between the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and six countries ASEAN already has FTAs with (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea);
 the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) being hammered out between 23 countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, EU, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the US); and
 the Tripartite FTA (TFTA) merging three African regional economic communities: the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC).
 the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), next stage of the TFTA in which all 54 African Union states are expected to be member

The TFTA was signed in June 2015 and the TPP in February 2016, but are not yet in force. All the other deals are under negotiation.

In this section we collate leaks and texts of these agreements.

October 2016


TPP - draft IP chapter (30 Aug 2013)
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - EU initial position papers (June 2013)
Initial position papers from the Commission dated 20 June 2013 and leaked by IATP
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - EU negotiating mandate (draft June 2013)
Third leaked draft, published by the FInancial Times’ "Brussels Blog" on 10 June 2013
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - EU negotiating mandate (draft May 2013)
The draft mandate dated 21 May 2013 is expected to be passed during a one-day session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council of Ministers on 14 June 2013.
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - EU negotiating mandate (draft Mar 2013)
On 13 March 2013, the EU Commission adopted a recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on a comprehensive trade and investment agreement, called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, between the EU and the US
TPP - draft investment chapter (June 2012)
TPP - US regulatory coherence proposal (Sep 2011)
Citizen Trade Campaign has released this September 2011 proposal from the US on regulatory coherence under the Trans Pacific Partnership