WASHINGTON - The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) is a comprehensive and balanced agreement that will raise living standards and reduce poverty, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said in defending a pact that is expected to face opposition in the US Congress.

The USTR said that the TPP, as the deal is known, would eliminate or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers across a spectrum of goods and services, address issues like the development of the digital economy and the role of state-owned enterprises in the global economy. “We envision conclusion of this agreement, with its new and high standards for trade and investment in the Asia Pacific, as an important step toward our ultimate goal of open trade and regional integration across the region,” the USTR said.