The ambitious trans-Pacific trade plan scuppered after the United States withdrew under its new president could be salvaged under a deal suggested by Japan.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) could be created with at least five nations on board, including New Zealand, Japan and Australia, instead of 12, sources involved in the negotiations told Kyodo News.
[...]
However, at a meeting of top negotiators from the 11 parties, Tokyo pushed the argument for a TPPA without the US by changing the original agreement, the sources said.
A trade deal without the US - and without US intellectual property and corporate power bullshit - might be worth doing. Or it might not. But if its just the same deal, on the same terms, its not even worth considering. The TPPA was marginal even on MFAT's optimistic assumptions; with all the costs and fewer benefits, its a deal we should refuse.