From: Digital Supply Chain
White House Group Delays Trade Pact to 2013
Jamie Robinson
An interagency working group led by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has goals to facilitate cooperation and coordination among international regulatory bodies, manufacturers, and suppliers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership will discuss adopting international standards and reporting requirements that can streamline regulatory checks and reduce overlapping ones.
The interagency group formed initially in 2012, but U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donahue said he expects the pact will be completed in 2013, later than expected. The group wrapped its 13th round of negotiations July 2-10 in San Diego, California, discussing further the more than 20 chapters under negotiation, including proposals in intellectual property rights, and tariff packages on industrial goods, agriculture, and textiles.