Grain and wine exporters have say on expanding membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership

THE Department of Agriculture, along with GrainGrowers and Wine Australia, will appear at a public hearing today for an Australian parliamentary inquiry looking at the merits of expanding the membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The CPTPP agreement signed in 2018 is a trade bloc of 11 countries that includes Australia and is an export market of 500 million consumers worth nearly $14 trillion.

The parliamentary inquiry will examine the scope for expanding the TPP beyond the existing membership of Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia and Peru to include new members.

Ted O’Brien is the chair of the Trade Sub-Committee of the Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

“We welcome the opportunity to investigate the views of the grain and wine sectors, along with the Department of Agriculture,” Mr O’Brien said.

“As we examine the merits of expanding the CPTPP trade pact to include other economies, it is important we understand what trade obligations potential members should satisfy.”

Representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, GrainGrowers Ltd and Wine Australia will appear at the public hearing at 9:50am, Thursday 24 June 2021 in Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House.

Further details about the about the inquiry, including terms of reference, details on how to contribute a submission and, when available, details of public hearings and roundtable discussions, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

ends