PORTLAND, Maine — Maine Attorney General Janet Mills wrote to congressional representatives Thursday, urging them not to allow a vote on wide-ranging trade talks with Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim nations without more public input.
In a letter to Maine’s congressional delegation, Mills wrote she was concerned about specific provisions of the deal, which would remove tariffs on certain goods, standardize some regulatory systems and establish legal processes for settling trade disputes.
“Current trade negotiations … focus on revising and standardizing regulatory measures, raising concerns that these agreements may undermine our work and harm our citizens,” Mills wrote, noting she recently met with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and other attorneys general about the issue.
Mills wrote she was concerned about a new arbitration process by which foreign businesses may be able to challenge state laws, particularly in relation to tobacco, professional licensing and protections against predatory lending, she wrote.
The National Association of Attorneys General wrote in September that tobacco regulations have become a focal point for concern over investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS, provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Tobacco producer Philip Morris sued Australia, arguing a law requiring uniform packaging for all cigarette brands improperly prevents the company from using its trademark.
“The intent of ISDS was to protect the more developed regulatory systems of the United States, but it may have the opposite effect, lowering standards in America and lowering the playing field, in the name of achieving ‘parity,’” Mills wrote.
Mills’ letter comes as the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on giving so-called fast-track authority to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which would require Congress to cast only “yes” or “no” votes on the bill, with no chance for amendments or filibusters.
The secrecy of the proposals and the elements of the plan that have been leaked have created a rift among Democrats, many of whom have opposed President Barack Obama’s push for the trade deal.
While Mills, a Democrat, wrote she specifically was concerned about the investor-state dispute provisions, she urged Maine’s congressional delegation to require more transparency in the trade talks.
“Transparency in the negotiating process will enhance the odds of passage of the agreements, not diminish those odds,” Mills wrote.
Reuters reported Japanese officials have said fast-track approval is needed for the pact, which would encompass 40 percent of the global economy.
Labor unions and others have expressed concern about the impact on American jobs. Shoe maker New Balance has said removing tariffs on shoes imported from Vietnam could cause it to cut back on domestic manufacturing.