Please note: the purpose of this diary series is not an argument for or against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).There have been a great number of diaries written on this topic, and my only goal here is to provide more information regarding what TPP does, and what it doesn't do.
Full disclosure before we start: My career is in international trade. The global economy isn't a mystery or source of anxiety for me; it's my livelihood and I love it. It's a complicated and constantly changing industry so it keeps me on my toes. It's challenging, requires a lot of critical thinking, reading, research, and, yes, creativity. In short, it suits me.
That being said, I don't have a strong opinion about free trade agreements in general. They don't make my job any easier- in fact, in order to get any benefit from a FTA, I have to do more work, not less. (We'll get to that shortly.) So, as I stated at the top, this will not be an argument for or against the TPP or FTAs. It's not an opinion piece.
The purpose of this series is purely educational. Many people are misinformed or completely uneducated about the topic and I hope to bring something to the table that will help others form an educated and informed opinion.
Okay, now that all of that's out of the way, let's do the jump and geek out on international trade.