As the 2016 presidential race moves into the debate phase, one issue sure to get more and more attention is the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (“TPP”). In simplest terms, the TPP is a proposed trade agreement between twelve Pacific Rim countries, including the United States, concerning a wide variety of matters of economic policy. Together, the countries account for 40 percent of world economic output. After years of negotiations, an agreement was recently reached on October 5, 2015 after marathon talks in Atlanta, Georgia. Before negotiations ever began, each of the TPP countries signed confidentiality agreements promising to maintain the secrecy of the negotiations, including the specific terms and provisions being debated. As a result, even though a “deal” has been reached, the exact terms of that deal remain a mystery. That said, before the TPP can become official, the text of the agreement has to be signed and…
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