Trade Minister Andrew Robb confirms Australia will not sign Trans-Pacific Partnership deal
AUSTRALIA will not sign up to the $200 billion Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal after talks failed to resolve significant industry issues.
AUSTRALIA will not sign up to the trans-Pacific partnership trade deal in the current round of talks.
A spokesman for Trade Minister Andrew Robb confirmed that a conclusion will not be reached on the $200 billion deal during the latest round of negotiations.
“Australia had made some excellent progress but unfortunately some difficult issues were not resolved,” he said in a statement to AAP on Saturday.
Mr Robb said Australia had made progress on sugar and dairy, but discussions were yet to be finalised.
He rejected suggestions he’d negotiated trade-offs on intellectual property in return for market access.
“You are looking for a balance,” the minister told reporters in Lahaina, Hawaii.
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