President Donald Trump has asked trade officials to explore the possibility of the United States rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
“Last year, the president kept his promise to end the TPP deal negotiated by the Obama Administration because it was unfair to American workers and farmers,” the White House said in a statement. The president assigned U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his new chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, “to take another look at whether or not a better deal could be negotiated.”
Trump first disclosed his request Thursday to a group of lawmakers at a White House meeting on trade.
Trump tweeted late Thursday that he “would only join TPP if the deal were substantially better than the deal offered to Pres. Obama.”
“We already have BILATERAL deals with six of the eleven nations in TPP, and are working to make a deal with the biggest of those nations, Japan, who has hit us hard on trade for years,” the president tweeted.
Trump has publicly considered rejoining the deal before, suggesting he would re-enter if he could negotiate more favorable terms. He has not said precisely what he wants changed.
Commentaires