New York, N.Y., December 10, 2013 - The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) today congratulated U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and negotiators from the other Trans-Pacific Partnership countries on making substantial progress in the latest round of TPP talks just concluded in Singapore.

"The Trans-Pacific Partnership is  an essential element in expanding our access to fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region, which will spur economic growth and job creation," said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. "We encourage negotiators to continue striving for  a comprehensive, high-standards trade and investment agreement."

In a joint statement earlier today, negotiators said: "For all TPP countries, an ambitious, comprehensive and high-standard agreement that achieves the goals established in Honolulu in 2011 is critical for creating jobs and promoting growth, providing opportunity for our citizens and contributing to regional integration and the strengthening of the multilateral trading system."

Robinson urged the TPP governments to intensify their efforts in January with the goal of wrapping up negotiations as soon as possible. "We in the business community are committed to helping our governments conclude an ambitious agreement in short order," he said.

In addition to the United States, the TPP talks encompass Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.www.uscib.org.