Robert Schiffer

Executive Vice President of Development, Agree Realty

Search every verified Robert Schiffer interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2014 presentation, Robert Schiffer, Executive Vice President of Development at Agree Realty, discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its potential environmental and economic impacts. He described the TPP as the largest free trade agreement, covering approximately 40 percent of the world's GDP and one third of total world trade. Schiffer stated that Vietnam's GDP could increase by 13.6 percent under the agreement)Skip, and that garment and footwear would be important sectors for Vietnam due to tariff reductions. He noted that the United States is the largest importer of textiles from Vietnam and that agricultural exports were expected to rise. Schiffer said the TPP includes an environmental chapter with obligations for parties to enforce domestic environmental laws consistent with global agreements, addressing issues such as biodiversity, illegal logging, wildlife, and overfishing. He added that the chapter's dispute settlement provisions had proven controversial and would likely be narrowed. Schiffer estimated a 30 to 50 percent chance that the TPP would contain significant environmental standards, but said the issues would at least be addressed for the first time. He also stated that industry would oppose the agreement because environmental provisions were being "pushed down their throats," and that the public would have input as leaders sought to close a deal by the end of the year.