WASHINGTON -- The U.S. reached an agreement Monday on a massive trade deal with 11 Pacific Rim countries that could have a major impact on Alaska seafood exports.
The deal -- the The Trans-Pacific Partnership -- will not be final for months, and must first pass muster in Congress, where there is some opposition. The U.S. House and Senate would have to approve the deal by a simple majority.
The deal would phase out import tariffs and regulations that limit trade, and impose uniform labor and environmental requirements on the 12 countries, which include Japan and Australia.
Lawmakers in both parties were cautious on Monday, many reserving judgment and noting the many issues at hand will require careful consideration.
Congress passed a "fast track" trade bill this summer that gave President Barack Obama authority to negotiate the deal.
That deal had mixed support from the Alaska delegation. Alaska's Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan both supported the bill, saying it would offer new opportunities for Alaska's economies.
But Rep. Don Young opposed the decision to give the president authority to negotiate "because he believes it would drastically reduce Congress' leverage to amend or block trade deals that jeopardize the American worker and economy," his spokesperson Matt Shuckerow said Monday. Young "remains committed to listening to the many thoughts and concerns of Alaskans" during debate over the deal, Shuckerow said.
"I am a free trader and I remain hopeful that the TPP will benefit Alaska, by opening new markets for our state's exports and supporting thousands of jobs," Murkowski said Monday. "Still, we must look carefully at the details of the negotiations, and I look forward to vetting the agreement when it comes to Congress," she added.
Sullivan spokesman Mike Anderson said the senator has not yet seen the details of the final agreement and noted the "entire agreement will soon be made public, subject to congressional hearings, and go through a detailed review process by Senator Sullivan and his colleagues."
The agreement is broad and lengthy, covering trade issues from clothing to financial services in 30 chapters. The final details are yet to be published as negotiators complete the technical work related to legal review, translation and approval of the final text.
Issues addressed in the deal include technical barriers to trade, investment, electronic commerce, environmental issues, and even intellectual property and issues related to Internet economy. The agreement also allows for temporary travel for business people, designed to ease travel related to importing and exporting goods.
The environmental provisions of the agreement are meant to address logging, illegal wildlife tracking, and "illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing," according to the U.S. trade office.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called it a "historic accomplishment."
"The TPP holds important tools to move trading partners toward more sustainable development – helping to protect precious natural resources and combat wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It also includes commitments to conserve species like rhinos, elephants and pangolins and protect natural areas and forests," Jewell said.
The Alaskan seafood industry is responsible for more than 78,000 jobs and $5.8 billion of the state's annual economy, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Between 2012 and 2014, 35 percent of Alaska's exports went to countries in the TPP.
Overall, Alaska exported $5.2 billion in merchandise in 2014, according to the White House.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the agreement will increase U.S. exports of "meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products."
The labor standards take aim at child labor, availability of unions, minimum wage and safe workplace requirements.
The agreement also aims to help smaller businesses, limiting high taxes, complex paperwork and customs red tape, according to the White House.
The five-year effort includes countries that make up nearly 40 percent of the global economy: the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.