Kerry: US Sovereignty Unaffected by Asia-Pacific Trade Pact

Kerry claims that the 12 nation Trans-Pacific Trade agreement will not undermine the sovereignty of the United States.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The 12 nation Trans-Pacific Trade (TPP) agreement will not undermine the sovereignty of the United States, US Secretary of State John Kerry stated on Tuesday in response to criticism of the trade pact at Boeing in the US state of Washington.

“The agreement will not take away any sovereign rights of our nation, of any nation, it is not going to allow anyone to change our laws other than the US Congress,” Kerry said.

The TPP is set to become the largest free trade deal, involving 12 countries from the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Japan, Mexico and Canada. The deal is expected to cover about 40 percent of the global economy.

Opponents of the trade pact argue it could undermine US sovereignty, including environmental regulations.

On Thursday, the US Senate passed a measure that would allow debate on granting the administration of US President Barack Obama trade promotion authority.

The fast track trade bill would give Obama authority to conclude negotiations on the TPP agreement with major Asia-Pacific countries without Congress being able to amend the agreement.