Understanding the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Despite a few key sticking points not yet resolved through 15 negotiating rounds, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is likely to come into force in the next year. With 13 initial members, and the possible addition of South Korea and Japan, it will then become the largest worldwide free trade zone. Yet its complexity still leaves large parts of it not very well understood. The authors, all holding positions at the Peterson Institution of International Economics, address the current status of negotiations, the major sticking points, and the likely result of adding countries to the trade agreement. The final chapter briefly addresses the important issue of potential Chinese involvement. A useful two page glossary appears before the index. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Jeffrey J. Schott joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics in 1983 and is a senior fellow working on international trade policy and economic sanctions. During his tenure at the Institute, Schott was also a visiting lecturer at Princeton University (1994) and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University (1986–88). He was a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1982–83) and an official of the US Treasury Department (1974–82) in international trade and energy policy. During the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations, he was a member of the US delegation that negotiated the GATT Subsidies Code. Since January 2003, he has been a member of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee of the US government. He is also a member of the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.

Barbara Kotschwar, former research fellow, was associated with the Peterson Institute for International Economics from 2007 to October 2015. Her research focuses on trade, investment, and regional integration. Recent projects include comparative analyses of Latin American experiences with free trade agreements, Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America, an assessment of Mexico's economy, and studies on commercial relations between the United States and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) partners.

Julia Muir was a research analyst at the Peterson Institute from March 2010 to June 2013 and worked with Senior Fellows Jeffrey J. Schott and Gary Clyde Hufbauer. Prior to joining the Institute she completed a bachelor of arts degree from McGill University with a concentration in international development studies and economics. She also holds a Master of Economics (Social Sciences) from the University of Sydney. Her master's thesis examined trade regulation in North and South America, examining how the US model of trade has affected regional integration in North and South America.