TPP Withdrawal Likely to Haunt Trump ' s Asia Trip

President Trump ’s arrival in Japan on November 5th will mark the start of a nine-day visit to Asia where trade and other economic issues, along with security concerns regarding North Korea, stand to figure prominently. Those hoping for the unveiling of any new bold trade initiatives, however, will almost surely find themselves disappointed. More probable is that the trip will serve as a bitter reminder of Trump’s ill-advised move only days after taking office to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—a decision whose reverberations are likely to be felt during many of his stops. The followin g is a closer look at some of the issues the president will likely encounter:Japan: Had Trump used his political capital as a newly-elected president to  push the TPP through a Republican-held Congress, his visit to Tokyo could have been an occasion to celebrate the agreement’s ratification in both countries (Japan hasalready done so). Instead, his trade discussions with Prime Minister Abe are likely to mirror those held  between Vice President Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Aso last month, where Pence issaid to have expressed “strong interest” in a U.S.-Japan bilateral trade deal whilesenior Japanese officials grumbled over U.S. withdrawal from the TPP. Given this disparity in views, it was no surprise when the two sides settled for a list of deliverables whose highlights included an agreement to lift U.S. restrictions on the import of Japanese persimmons...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs