On Oct. 5, after five years of deliberation, 12 countries from Asia and the Americas came together to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the biggest trade deals in history. This deal extends to some of the largest economies in the world, including the United States, Japan and Australia, while also incorporating smaller markets such as Brunei and Malaysia. In total, TPP-signing countries make up almost 40 percent of the global GDP. In the United States, the Obama administration has been extremely supportive of the deal, ceding to most demands of other signing countries. However, while American negotiators for the deal might tout its tariff reductions and workers’ rights provisions, the deal ultimately spells disaster for the both the global environment and the American economy.

As with any deal that strengthens international trade in the modern era, there are environmental repercussions. However, not only does the TPP’s wide scope magnify such inherent detriments, but also it actually contains fundamental provisions that will accelerate the rate of environmental destruction. One of the main facets of the TPP is the ability it likely gives corporations to sue any government that tries to interfere with their profits. This could result in companies suing governments over virtually any environmental regulation. This is a massive step backward for the president, who strengthened the Environmental Protection Agency more than any president before him. According to the Sierra Club, one of the leading authorities on environmental action, this provision will greatly increase dirty fracking and carbon output, and holistically ignores overfishing and over logging.

The United States is the most affected out of the all economies involved in the deal and only stands to lose fiscally. The TPP is mainly targeted at increasing foreign exports in an effort to help support emerging markets. However, most of these exports will be coming to the United States, dwarfing any expected domestic exports. This combination would present a massive problem to the U.S. job market. Trade deficits account for most of the five million American manufacturing jobs lost in the past 15 years. The North American Free Trade Act alone caused a trade deficit that claimed almost one million American jobs. Furthermore, U.S. companies will now compete more directly with cheap foreign labor. According to research by the Center for Economic and Policy, average wages in the U.S. will assuredly fall due to this competition.

Although special interests will undoubtedly fight for the TPP, not all hope is lost. The bill still has to be ratified by the legislatures in all participating countries. Congress must make a statement through a complete rejection of the bill. They have a duty to show the world that the need to keep environmental regulation strong and protect blue-collar jobs outweighs the greed of the corporate few.

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Email Max Schachere at [email protected].