Our Trade Minister's hopeful political developments in the USA will result in progress for a major proposed regional free trade deal.

A Bill's been drafted by US politicians that could clear the way for President Obama's administration being granted fast track authority to negotiate the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

Trade Minister Tim Groser is taking a wait and see approach as to whether the bill will be successful, but appears hopeful.

"My belief is that it's unlikely the political professionals in Washington would have put these two bills forward, unless they had done the numbers."

Tim Groser says the development is a very big deal.

"We were never going to get into the negotiating endgame on this TPP without Congress passing the authority that allows the US administration to go into trade negotiations. So this is actually a very important step forward."