Description

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement currently nearing completion with twelve countries on three continents: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. Although we have seen various kinds of trade agreements in the region, the TPP promises to be a different kind of arrangement.

It will be broader and deeper than comparable free trade agreements (FTAs). The rules and commitments under discussion include many new areas. Yet, even a “cutting edge” deal is likely to be quickly out of date, given the speed of innovation in global business today. As a result, TPP officials have been trying to include provisions to create a “living agreement” that can be continuously refined and updated. This seminar discusses the challenges and promises of implementing this idea.

About The Speaker

Deborah ELMS is Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre in Singapore. She is also a senior fellow in the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Trade Academy. Previously, she was head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN) and senior fellow of international political economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Her research interests are negotiations and decision making, and her current research involves the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and global value chains. She has provided consulting on a range of trade issues to governments including the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Singapore. Dr. Elms received a PhD in political science from the University of Washington, a MA in international relations from the University of Southern California, and bachelor’s degrees from Boston University.