It is raining in Atlanta. It’s likely to rain all week — which suits the mood at the negotiating table so far.
There were rumours circulating Tuesday that chief negotiators working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal had reached an agreement-in-principle (AIP). Would that be like the AIP that Canada announced with Europe, the one which has spent years in the ‘final polishing and legal drafting’ phase?
Rumours of a deal have been denied — but what are denials worth in this ultra-opaque round of negotiations? No one here is swallowing the AIP bilge. Two years ago, the national leaders involved in these talks suggested they already had an agreement-in-principle. So much for credibility.
Read more here: http://ipolitics.ca/2015/09/30/a-tpp-deal-by-friday-dont-bet-the-farm/