President Obama smiles during a meeting with leaders from the Trans-Pacific Partnership at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China, on Nov. 10. (Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images)
Re: “Trans-Pacific Partnership will aid Colorado biotech industry,” Nov. 22 guest commentary.
Tom Clark laid out how the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreementap strong intellectual property protections would benefit Colorado’s growing biotech sector. His analysis excluded important details.
The TPP has been negotiated in secret — Congress with its constitutional authority to “regulate commerce with foreign nations” has largely been denied specifics. Leaked texts have provided most known provisions.
TPP rules would restrict the ability of governments to regulate in favor of public health and delay the availability of low-cost generic medicines. It would weaken requirements needed to patent genes in plants, negatively impacting small farmers and boosting the dominance of ag-businesses like Monsanto.
What is needed is an agreement that protects individuals and small businesses, not just large corporations.
Harriet Mullaney, Denver
This letter was published in the Nov. 27 edition.
