Business Roundtable

The Singapore-based Channel News Asia has been covering the APEC CEO Summit in Vladivostok, reporting that, "Business leaders want speedy conclusion to TPP free-trade agreement." 

That's the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that would expand a 2005 pact among Brunei, Chile, Singapore and New Zealand to include the United States, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia , Mexico and Canada. (The latter two countries are joining the negotiations later this year.) Once completed, the TPP would be the largest trade bloc in the Asian and Pacific region.

The story quotes BRT-member John Faraci, chairman and CEO of International Paper, who is attending the CEO Summit in Russia.

Free trade is a good thing, fair trade, a level playing field, for everybody is very important.
Simplifying how business is done, and the rules how business is done, in some of these emerging markets, whether it's China, India, Brazil or Russia is important.
There are issues they all share, they're different, infrastructure is a big issue, the governments have a role to play putting in the infrastructure, together with companies that are going to make the investments.

The latest round of TPP negotiations began Thursday in Leesburg, Va. Business Roundtable has called for a vigorous pursuit of a Trans-Pacific Partnership to help boost U.S. exports and economic activity.

More ...

• Reuters, "Asia-Pacific Forum to Cut Import Duties for Green Technologies "
• Tallahassee.com, "Trans-Pacific partnership can benefit Florida," op-ed by Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 
• Wall Street Journal Asia, editorial, "A TPP Stimulus for Japan "
• China Daily (state-controlled newspaper), "Members to promote free trade at APEC forum"
• Associated Press, "APEC Seeks Growth Boost Despite Politics, Tensions "
• Voice of Russia (government-controlled broadcaster), "Putin meets with APEC business community "
• Voice of Russia, "APEC participants urged to invest in Russia"