United States

Representatives from the 12 countries participating in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are meeting in Hawaii this week for what is hoped to be the final round of talks. While some are confident that the deal will be finalized this week, many others worry that some of the most divisive issues have been left for last and will remain unresolved. Negotiators had hoped to finalize the deal so that it can be voted on by the U.S. Congress before the 2016 Presidential Campaign heats up. (Reuters)
 
The U.S. State Department has released its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report looking at the state of human trafficking around the world. A total of 18 countries, including Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) participant Malaysia, were upgraded in status while another 18 were downgraded. The report is cited as the U.S. government’s “primary diplomatic tool” to engage foreign governments on a dialogue about trafficking. (U.S. State Department) / (CNN)
 
U.S. officials are being urged by Bangladesh to restore its inclusion in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program in an effort to stay competitive with countries participating in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States, Mohammad Ziauddin, recently met with U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to tout the significant progress the country has made in workers’ rights and safety and emphasize that membership in the GSP scheme was essential for Bangladesh to remain competitive against TPP countries in the U.S. market. The U.S. is currently one of only a few developed nations in which Bangladesh does not enjoy preferential status under GSP. (Fibre2Fashion)