Now US wants Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement with European Union to include Turkey: who’s next?
TechDirt | 19 March 2013
Now US Wants Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement With European Union To Include Turkey: Who’s Next?
by Glyn Moody
Last week we wrote about the important news that Mexico is asking to join what began as a bilateral trade agreement between the US and Europe, with the suggestion that Canada might follow suit. Now, via @FFII, we learn that even before Mexico’s announcement, the US has been encouraging other countries to join:
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday US Secretary of State John Kerry wanted Turkey to be included in Transatlantic Free-Trade Area (TAFTA).
Davutoglu said they would follow closely the process of Turkey’s inclusion in TAFTA.
As with Mexico’s application, it would seem that the European Union doesn’t get any choice in the matter. But what’s really interesting here is that it confirms the impression that the US is keen to build out TAFTA to include many more countries, including some far from the Atlantic that originally defined it. The big question is now: who’s next on the list?
