Firms Can Participate In Govt Procurement, Tenders Of TPPA Member Countries -- Chief Negotiator

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysian companies can participate in government procurement and tenders of all Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) member countries once the trade pact is sealed. "Once we sign it, the 11 other governments are obliged to open their markets for us and this is where our local companies can benefit from them. We will also have to open our market to them," Malaysia's Chief Negotiator for the TPPA, J. Jayasiri, said Wednesday. Jayasiri, who is the Deputy Secretary-General, Strategy & Monitoring of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, told reporters this after a briefing on the TPPA on the textiles and apparel industry. He said under the TPPA, Malaysian textiles and apparel companies could bid to supply uniforms to the army, hospitals and schools. "The TPPA will also open up markets for Malaysia in the US, Canada, Mexico and Peru where we currently do not have any free trade agreement," he said. Earlier, in his presentation, he said, when the TPPA came into effect, 72.9 per cent of the textile tariff on 36.44 per cent of total exports to the US would be eliminated. Without the TPPA, only 11 per cent of the tariffs, or 0.9 per cent, of total exports are duty-free, he said. Jayasiri said in 2014, apparel exports to US were over US$530 million (US$1=RM4.37) and duties paid were over US$100 million with total potential duty saving of US$100 million. On the amendments to be made to the 26 state and federal laws and regulations related to the TPPA, Jayasiri said, there were only few things that needed to be amended and there would be no new laws. "If you do not take part in this agreement, other countries that you want to negotiate with will be looking at you and say that you are not ready for high standard negotiations," he said. Tuesday, Minister of International Trade and Industry Minister, Mustapa Mohamed, said only minor changes would be made to the TPPA and it would only involve a circular that has been identified by the Attorney-General. Mustapa said Malaysia would finalise the amendments, which would include labour rules and regulations and intellectual property rights, within two years after the signing the pact. Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, Brunei Darussalam and the US make up the 12 TPPA member countries. -- BERNAMA