US to Host Trans-Pacific Partnership Meeting in Hawaii in Late July

The United States is set to host a meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries’ trade ministers and another one of the Treaty’s chief negotiators at the end of July in Hawaii, the Office of the US Trade Representative stated in a release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On June 29, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which gives him the fast-track authority to negotiate international free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership without Congress being able to amend them.

“The United States will host a meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers in Maui, Hawaii from July 28-31, preceded by a meeting of TPP Chief Negotiators from July 24-27,” the release said on Tuesday.

The TPP deal is geared towards securing commercial agreements between the United States and 11 other nations, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia. The deal is expected to cover about 40 percent of the global economy.

The US Trade Representative’s Office said the United States and other countries have made good progress in closing gaps on remaining issues to finalize the TPP. One of the upcoming TPP meetings is between Japan and the United States over customs duties on agricultural products and auto spare parts.