Washington, D.C. (June 18, 2012) – The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) welcomed the announcement Monday that Mexico is being invited to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations.  John Neuffer, ITI’s vice president for global policy, issued the following comment:
 
“The addition of Mexico to the TPP negotiations would mark an important advancement for global trade.  The TPP will create more jobs here in the United States and more markets for our goods and services.  The technology sector is greatly encouraged by the impressive progress made in the TPP negotiations already, and adding a strong partner such as Mexico to the talks will serve to strengthen the final result.  We look forward to seeing Canada and Japan also join the TPP talks.
“The global economy stands to gain substantially from a comprehensive free trade agreement that is economically significant, cross-cutting, and addresses 21st century trade and investment challenges.  By expanding the nations participating in the TPP, we open major avenues to strengthen the tech sector in the U.S. and around the world.  And we create significant opportunities across global economic sectors.  That’s something that all sides can agree needs to happen – and without delay.”
 
In addition to the United States, the current TPP countries are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
 
The TPP countries have completed 12 rounds of negotiations and the nine countries have made solid progress.  The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place July 2 – 10 in San Diego, Calif.  ITI and its member companies will be on hand for the San Diego talks.

About ITI
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world’s leading innovation companies.  ITI navigates the constantly changing relationships between policymakers, companies, and non-governmental organizations, providing creative solutions that advance the development and use of technology around the world.  We develop first-rate advocacy strategies and market-specific approaches.  And we deliver results.  Visit itic.org to learn more.
 

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Tom Gavin
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