Federal government invites comments on TPP environmental impacts

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

People with opinions on significant environmental impacts in Canada of the Canada-Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement are invited to submit their comments to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The closing date for submissions is Jan. 30.

Canada and Mexico entered the negotiations last fall. The other countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Together these countries represent a market of almost 658 million people and a combined GDP of $20.7 trillion, according to a background document on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website.

Canadian companies exported $340.8 billion worth of goods to Trans-Pacific member countries in 2011. That’s equivalent to more than 76 per cent of Canada’s global total.

Canada is seeking to increase these numbers by “building on our existing partnerships and enhancing conditions for trade and investment in the region as a whole,” the document says.

The Canadian government announced on Canada Gazette last month that it intends to do a strategic environmental assessment of the free trade agreement. Submissions to identify likely and significant environmental impacts in Canada of the trade agreement should be directed to the trade policy and negotiations division (Trans-Pacific Partnership) of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The latest of 15 rounds of negotiations took place in Auckland, New Zealand last month. The goal is to conclude the agreement this year. The next negotiating round is scheduled for March 4-13 in Singapore. BF