On March 8, the Durham Chamber, in partnership with Business Forward, held a business leader briefing with Robert D. Manogue, director of the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Manogue provided an update on TPP the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

TPP would reduce or eliminate 18,000 tariffs on American exports. It contains chapters governing e-commerce, intellectual property, and state-owned enterprises and is the first free trade agreement to include a chapter specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. The agreement also includes the most enforceable labor and environmental standards in any agreement of its kind. TPP member countries include:

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Peru
• United States
• Vietnam
• Chile
• Brunei
• Singapore
• New Zealand

Read more on TPP at the following links

• http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21672214-sealing-pacific-trade-deal-welcome-spare-cheers-every-silver-lining-has
• https://ustr.gov/tpp/