Zi Jian (Tommy) Zhu

IMS. 3310.HON
7 November 2016

TPP Disapproval

The purpose of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is to promote trade and economic

growth. Despite this agreement being worlds most ambitious free trade agreement yet, it may

not necessarily benefit United States as a whole. Historical data from similar agreements such as

NAFTA and their potential negative effects suggest that Congress should disapprove this trade

agreement.

The TPP is like NAFTA on steroids, as a Canadian social activist Naomi Klein claims.

The NAFTA was created to increase trade and economic growth, but there are significant

disadvantages to it and the new trade agreement is at risk of experiencing these same

disadvantages. The NAFTA resulted in a U.S trade deficit with Mexico, which demonstrates how

although the U.S. may have the ability to purchase from other countries, they may not do the

same in return (Amadeo). Another significant disadvantage is that it led to the loss of 500,000-

750,000 jobs in the U.S., due to companies in manufacturing industries moving to Mexico for

cheap labor (Amadeo). In addition to the trade deficit and job loss, Mexicos environment

deteriorated as a result of NAFTA. Mexico agribusiness used more fertilizers and harmful

chemicals to in order to better compete with other businesses (Amadeo). With Congress

approving the TPP, it is likely that the environment of countries of some TPP members would

deteriorate as well, just as it did in Mexico. Similarly, there is a chance that other countries

would take advantage of the United States and take more jobs that had originally belonged to

people in the U.S.

The countries involved in the TPP represent about 792 million people in total and cover

40% of the world economy (Reich). However, the terms of the TPP are devised in private among

a select few negotiators and are unknown to the public. The negotiators who are involved are
Zi Jian (Tommy) Zhu
IMS. 3310.HON
7 November 2016

lobbyists from Americas biggest corporations and Wall Street banks, rather than the average

citizen (Reich). Thus, the TPP is negotiated largely to the benefit of large corporations instead of

individual workers of United States. Even Hillary Clinton said that it did not sufficiently protect

American jobs after the agreement was finalized (Granville). In addition to the potential threat

to workers, complications may also arise from the need to enforce intellectual property rights and

patents between different countries (Reich). These rights are important because they prevent

copyright infringement and other dangers to business owners, encouraging them to do business

with the assurance that they have protection from such unfair practices. Also, the agreement

allows corporations to ignore member states domestic laws and sue their government directly,

which gives corporations more power over the government (Reich).

Many may argue that the economic benefits of the TPP outweigh the negatives. However,

the economic benefits are mostly experienced by the rich and would come at a cost to the

average people and to the environment. The developing countries would gain more from this

agreement than the U.S., so Congress should disapprove this agreement so that the benefits to the

developing countries do not come at cost to the United States.

Zi Jian (Tommy) Zhu
IMS. 3310.HON
7 November 2016

Work Cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. "6 Negative Effects of NAFTA." The Balance. N.p., 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 07

Nov. 2016.

Granville, Kevin. "The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Explained." NY Times. N.p., 20 Aug. 2016.

Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

Klein, Naomi. "The TPP Is a Grave Threat to Climate Action." The Leap. N.p., 21 May 2015.

Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Reich, Robert. "Robert Reich: The Largest, Most Disastrous Trade Deal You've Never Heard

Of." Alternet. N.p., 6 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.