Special Report

Vetter: Passage of TPA essential to TPP

The chief agriculture negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Darci Vetter, says negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement are nearly complete. 

“I just returned on Friday night from Guam where all the negotiators were together, really finalizing and defining those last issues that need to be decided,” Vetter says. “So we hope that in the coming weeks we’ll get back to the table and hammer them out.” 

But Vetter, speaking at World Pork Expo, said Congressional passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) is essential to getting the TPP agreement finalized.

“We do think once TPA is passed, that will allow those hard, final decisions to be made—once they’re confident we have that tool—that measure—in place to take the agreement across the finish line,” she says. “So all eyes are on the U.S. Congress right now.”

Vetter says she’s confident the House of Representatives will pass TPA.  The Senate has already approved the bill.

AUDIO: Darci Vetter taking questions from reporters