C’mon, feel the Colonel Potter luv.
Fierce split over next-generation drugs holds up Pacific Rim trade talks
By David Nakamura, Washington Post
October 3 at 4:48 PM
Negotiators from the United States and 11 other nations struggled Saturday to break an impasse on an expansive Pacific Rim trade accord backed by the Obama administration, setting up what could be a make-or-break final day of talks.
Trade ministers agreed to extend their stay for a fifth day here to give themselves another shot at reaching consensus Sunday on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The largest free-trade and regulatory pact in a generation has been beset by lingering disputes that have left officials fearful that they are running out of time if they don’t close out the pact this weekend.
A fierce divide between the United States and Australia over market exclusivity for the creators of next-generation biologic drugs has stalled the talks, which officials had hoped would be wrapped up already. Differences over market access for dairy exports also remained unresolved, though officials said they were hopeful that could be bridged once the other issue was settled.
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An all-night negotiating session at the Westin hotel, where the ministers are meeting, failed to produce significant progress on the thorniest issues. The main dispute centers on how long pharmaceutical companies will maintain exclusive marketing rights to genetically engineered medicines.
I want to stop right here and point out I’ve stayed in Westin Hotels and they’re not all that. For these guys it’s like staying in a cockroach infested America’s Best Value Inn. In fact, upon reflection, I’ve actually stayed in that very hotel and while it’s not a rotting pile of bedbugs and filth it’s not the Plaza or Waldorf either. To continue-
“TPP partners continue to work on creative solutions toward agreement,” said a U.S. official, who was not authorized to talk on the record and spoke on the condition of anonymity. “TPP partners are committed to finding a solution that ensures life-saving medicines are more widely available, while also creating incentives for the development of new treatments and cures.”
Congress members have warned the Obama administration not to rush the deal to completion over fears that the pact could lose crucial support on Capitol Hill if negotiators capitulate at the last moment to break the remaining impasses.
But U.S. officials are concerned that if the talks break up without a final deal, it could become more difficult to conclude negotiations in the face of pending political elections in several countries, including Canada, Japan, Peru and the United States.
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