The 11^th round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations is currently taking place in Melbourne, Australia. Although negotiators have agreed to the broad outlines of the TPP agreement, a new trade issue has created a snag in the process: the inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement provisions. These investor-state dispute settlement provisions, included in U.S. investment treaties and trade agreements with more than 50 countries, give advantages to large economies and can cripple small island states like Pacific Island nations.