Two major economic forces make it even more difficult to assess the impact of trade agreements on employment. If import prices are reduced as a result of a trade agreement, lower prices have two main effects: (1) they reduce the prices of imported products, which may encourage a shift in domestic demand towards relatively cheaper imported products (substitution effect); and (2) they increase the real purchasing power of consumers and producers, which can increase demand for all goods and services (income effect). For some products, these two effects are combined to clearly increase demand and increase production and employment. However, in some cases, these two effects are reflected in opposite directions: the substitution effect has a negative effect on demand, while the effect of income has a positive effect on demand. In these cases, the result of these two effects is ambiguous. These two agreements also contain provisions relating to pharmaceutical inspections (Annex 8-C of TPP Art. 17 and USMCA art. 12.F.5). Before conducting an inspection on the territory of another party, the parties notify the other party (unless there is reasonable reason to believe that this could compromise the effectiveness of the inspection”) the representation of the other party`s authority, the inspection (where possible) and the other contracting party of its findings prior to publication, to the extent that it is. However, there is no obligation to publish the results of inspections. The USMCA contains additional clauses that promote the exchange of confidential information between the parties. However, since contracting parties must prevent the disclosure of this confidential information, the publication of information may be limited when an inspection report is published in a country where transparency standards are more restrictive.

While CETA (Article 14) and USMCA (Art. 12.F.5. 6) restrict the disclosure of confidential information only with respect to good manufacturing practices, the TPP and CPTPP (Article 8.6.4) extend these restrictions to compliance assessment, which could also relate to important pharmaceutical safety data. Although China`s change in status has not changed tariffs, some economists argue that the adoption of PNTR status in trade between the United States and China in the context of the annual process of approval of China`s trade status by Congress and the possible consideration of a resolution of disapproval under Jackson-Vanik`s freedom of immigration (freedom of emigration in East-West) is eliminated. Trade Act 1974, S.L. 93-618). Several economists say that imports from China have been a significant factor in the loss of jobs in the United States since 2000.