Community Groups From Indo Pacific Countries Call For Release Of Texts As IPEF Negotiators Meet In South Korea

AFTINET today joins sixteen organisations from Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)* countries calling for more transparency in IPEF negotiations between Australia, the US and 12 Indo Pacific countries taking place in Busan, South Korea from July 8.

IPEF is a US trade initiative to diversify supply chains away from China. It is not a traditional trade agreement offering market access through tariff reductions, but promises to both increase trade and investment and improve human rights, labour rights and environmental standards in the region.

IPEF has four pillars on trade, supply chains, green economy and tax and anti-corruption.

IPEF recently announced the “substantial conclusion” of negotiations for pillar 2 on supply chains, which aims to increase the resilience and sustainability of supply chains amongst the 14 members, following a Ministers meeting in Detroit in May. However, the text of the agreement has not been released and civil society is now calling for release of Pillar 2 and other texts before they are signed.

Quotes from AFTINET Convener Dr Patricia Ranald:

“IPEF is being promoted as a new model of trade arrangements with greater community consultation and higher human rights, labour rights and environmental standards. Pillar 2 on supply chains should ensure that supply chains meet those standards. Yet the secrecy of the text means that we are unable to see if those benefits have been delivered.”

“By failing to release the texts and ensure the transparency of negotiations, IPEF negotiators not only deny the public and civil society meaningful input but also risk repeating the previous problematic approaches to trade agreements that have not delivered promised benefits.”

The full letter with endorsements is online here.

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