Trump Promises To Cancel Pacific Trade Deal On Day One
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump vowed he will pull out of a controversial Pacific Rim trade deal on his first day in office.
The Republican president made the announcement in a video message released November 21 outlining priorities for his first 100 days following his January 20 swearing-in.
Outgoing President Barack Obama had pushed hard to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would lower tarrifs, remove trade barriers, and other measures across 12 countries.
But the pact became a hot-button issue on the campaign trail, with Trump criticizing his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, for backing it and then reversing herself.
Trump’s populist message resonated in many U.S. industrial regions, who have seen huge manufacturing job losses blamed on another major trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement.
