Australian PM Turnbull Urges US Congress to Ratify TPP Trade Deal

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on the US Congress to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal as it stressed the United States’ commitment to the region.

"All of us, myself, [Foreign Minister] Julie [Bishop], Joe Hockey, our ambassador, all of us are urging the Americans, the American Congress in particular – as indeed the president is, of course – to ratify the TPP," Turnbull told reporters in New York on Sunday, as quoted by The Guardian newspaper.

According to the official, Australia’s business leaders and government are "unanimous" in their calls on Washington to ratify TPP.

"I believe it’s a very important call for the United States to ratify it. It goes beyond just economics. It is a very important statement of America’s strategic commitment to the rule of law which has underpinned the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and particularly east Asia," the prime minister said.

TPP negotiations were finalized in October and must be ratified by all 12 signatories within the next two years. The parties to the TPP agreement are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam, and comprise approximately 40 percent of world GDP.