IT has been exactly a month since the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) talks in Atlanta. Malaysia, along with its Asean neighbours Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei, is one of the 12 nations involved in the trade deal. The others are the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.
The TPPA has been touted as a 21st century trade agreement that is expected to establish the template for other trade deals. It is likely to leave its stamp on other free trade agreements that Malaysia is currently negotiating, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the China-Asean and EU-Malaysia.