On June 18, 2015, the House of Representatives approved a measure to grant President Obama fast track authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free trade deal between 12 nations that, if implemented, would eliminate tariffs on industrial goods, agriculture and textiles, as well as harmonize regulations on intellectual property, technical barriers to trade, labor, and environmental standards between participating economies.

According to a release by the New York Times, “the House passed the trade promotion authority measure, 218 to 208. It will now be sent back to the Senate, where a more narrow band of Republicans and Democrats will be asked to approve it after already passing their own bill.”

Current participants include the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Expeditors will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they occur.

The NY Times press release and a recently published TPP FAQ document can be accessed online at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/business/house-sends-trade-bill-back-to-senate-in-bid-to-outflank-foes.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/questions-and-answers-about-the-trans-pacific-partnership.html

A fact sheet published by the White House can be viewed online at:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/12/fact-sheet-united-states-trans-pacific-partnership

USTR Summary of objectives:
https://ustr.gov/tpp/Summary-of-US-objectives