Tim Brightbill Discusses Trans-Pacific Partnership Deal

October 6, 2015

Timothy C. Brightbill, a partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice, was quoted in separate articles published in The New York Times and Law360 about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that was announced yesterday in Atlanta.

According to reports, the full text of the TPP agreement will not be made public for several weeks, but observers have said that there are likely to be concessions on all sides.

“The details will be critical,” Mr. Brightbill—who serves as Vice-Chair of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Services and Finance Industries—told The New York Times.

In Congress, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who is usually seen as a free trade supporter, warned U.S. negotiators last week that they shouldn’t rush into an agreement that did not fulfill the objectives of the bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation.

“The Obama administration relied mostly on Republican support for TPA, with a certain number of Democrats as well, so when Sen. Hatch expresses concerns, that is potentially a very big issue,” Mr. Brightbill said to Law360. “How these last few compromises were made ... could [cause] some members of Congress who supported TPA to now be more skeptical.”

To read The New York Times article, click here. To read the Law360 article, click here.