From Cato:
Should Free Traders Support the
Trans-Pacific Partnership? An Assessment of America’s Largest Preferential
Trade Agreement by Daniel Ikenson, Simon Lester, Scott Lincicome,
Daniel Pearson, and K. William Watson
Abstract:
This paper presents
a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement from a
free trader’s perspective. Brief summaries, assessments, scores on a scale of 0
(protectionist) to 10 (free trade), and scoring rationales are provided for
each evaluated chapter. Of the 22 chapters analyzed, we found 15 to be
liberalizing (scores above 5), 5 to be protectionist (scores below 5), and 2 to
be neutral (scores of 5). Considered as a whole, the terms of the TPP are net
liberalizing – it would, on par, increase our economic freedoms. Accordingly,
the authors hope it will be ratified and implemented as soon as possible.