The International Trade Commission (ITC), the nonpartisan federal agency that provides trade policy advice to both Congress and the president, is hosting a three-day hearing this week on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). U.S. and foreign government officials, industry and labor leaders, and academics will offer testimony to help inform the ITC as it prepares its assessment of TPP’s likely impact on the U.S. economy, consumers and specific industries, including dairy.

ITC will file its assessment report by May 18, as required under the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountabilities Act of 2015.

The first panel began today, featuring testimonies by the ranking member on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI), and ambassadors from Japan, Peru and Singapore, three of the 12 countries participating in the Agreement. A variety of witnesses offering the views of business and labor organizations, such the Chamber of Commerce or the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), also testified.

Agriculture will headline the day tomorrow with Tom Suber, president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, providing his perspective on TPP’s role for the dairy industry. Other agriculture speakers will include representatives from the Sweetener Users Association, the Poultry and Egg Export Council and Cargill Inc. Manufacturing representatives and academics will conclude the second day.

The final day will include testimony from members of the textile and chemicals industry, pharmaceuticals and other relevant stakeholders.

IDFA plans to file comments to the Commission by the February 15 deadline.

More details on the hearing agenda are available here.

For more information, contact Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs, at bhughes@idfa.org.