An unequal partnership? Trans-Pacific accord will hamper markets for halal medicines, critics say
The world’s largest regional trade pact in the making—the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership-- will undoubtedly affect the world’s largest emerging market force—the halal economy. But how the TPPA will do that is an open and controversial question, as negotiators pick apart a controversial push for stronger patent protections.
At stake is whether stricter intellectual property standards could stymie Muslim nations’ abilities to produce and deliver more affordable and possibly halal-compliant versions of drugs.
The TPPA involves Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam — whose GDPs total a staggering $27.7 trillion, covering everything from food products to cars, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
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Matt Kwong