Secret Documents Show Canada’s Aggressive Campaign to Be Included in Trans-Pacific Partnership
New documents reveal Ottawa has for months been pushing the United States to allow Canada into Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks, telling the Americans it’s in their economic interests to do so and trying to assuage their concerns over supply management and intellectual property.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially announced Tuesday at the G20 summit in Mexico that Canada has been accepted into the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which many observers believe could outstrip the North American Free Trade Agreement in economic importance.
Documents labelled “Secret” and prepared for the deputy minister of International Trade — and obtained by Postmedia News under access to information — show Canada has been closely monitoring the growing economic and political relationship between the U.S. and Japan, a key Asian market the Harper government wants to increasingly tap.
The internal briefing notes also reveal Canada “is an ambitious partner” willing to discuss “any issue at the negotiating table,” and that the Harper government is ready to use its majority to make what would undoubtedly be a controversial decision to negotiate and possibly sign onto the TPP.