"As a result, what was intended to be a global free trade regime has given way to a discordant managed trade regime. Trade for much of the Pacific and Atlantic regions will be governed by agreements, thousands of pages in length and replete with complex rules of origin that contradict basic principles of efficiency and the free flow of goods."
Canadian media
• Christopher Smillie in The Tyee:
The Canadian public's thoughts on the Trans-Pacific Partnership were revealed in a poll published on the website Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The poll saw the majority of people vote 'moderately supporting' the proposed deal.
"Canada's GDP is less than half the size of Germany's. By any stretch of the imagination, our economy is small when compared to the giants we're playing with in the global sandbox. Strategic involvement in selective trade deals can benefit us; our products need markets, and our people need products at reasonable costs. But signing trade deals where the benefits for Canada are opaque -- or, at best, unconvincing to ordinary citizens -- is not a good idea."
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key pictured with other leaders, including United States President Barack Obama at a Trans-Pacific Partnership leaders meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell
US media
Media in the United States has had a fair share of articles for and against the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
President Barack Obama has publicly supported the global trade deal, saying that it will provide endless opportunities by achieving both economic and strategic goals.
"If we think of the TPP as a traditional trade deal that lowers tariffs, quotas and other traditional barriers to trade, there is not much there to justify the hype. There are always winners and losers from these sorts of trade pacts, but at least there is a clear logic of lower barriers leading to increased efficiency. With few barriers to lower, there is not much to be gained in terms of efficiency."
Thousands of shipping containers at the Shanghai Pudong International Container terminal in Shanghai, China. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Australian Media
Malcolm Farr in The Australian:
The Australian media have run some controversial headlines on the TPP deal, often citing the deal with the widely-used internet term, 'the dirtiest deal you've never heard of'.
"One reason from the Government is that when playing high stakes of global poker around the negotiating table it isn't good sense to show your cards in advance.
"Another is the process is so dense and incremental a position could change with trade-offs and gains."
Trade Ministers from around the Asia-Pacific will meet at Auckland's Sky City on Februrary 4 for the signing ceremony.
