As he made abundantly clear on the campaign trail, Donald Trump is not down with TPP. And today, he left the Obama-backed trade deal for dead.
The move nixing the Trans-Pacific Partnership will immediately take effect, as former President Barack Obama negotiated the deal but never ratified it with Congress. And while the move will not have an imminently discernible impact on the U.S. economy, it does clearly demonstrate a new outlook on the issue, especially compared to past presidents.
According to The NYT, aides in the Trump administration say the move signals that “Mr. Trump may also move quickly on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement,” and he is looking to meet with leaders of both Canada and Mexico to securer a fairer deal that would fit with his “America First” plan.
Trump’s move to dismantle TPP temporarily puts him at odds with some members of his own party, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who worked with President Obama to grant “fast-track authority” and allow the former president to negotiate the deal.
The executive action eradicating TPP is one of four Trump has issued since taking office on Friday, and comes alongside moves to put a freeze on federal hirings (except for military positions) and a reinstitution of limits on nongovernmental organizations that work abroad and take American money from performing abortions.