https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-tpp/trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal-signed-but-years-of-negotiations-still-to-come-idUSKCN0VD08S
From that point the United States had two choices: to ratify or to leave
On January 23rd 2017
the United States officially notified that they were "leaving" the TPP
The United States Officially Withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
WASHINGTON, DC – The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today issued a letter to signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPP”) that the United States has formally withdrawn from the agreement per guidance from the President of the United States. The letter emphasizes the commitment of the United States to free and fair trade, and encourages future discussions on “measures designed to promote more efficient markets and higher levels of economic growth.”
The letter was sent to each TPP signatory as well as the TPP depositary. The letter to the TPP depositary can be found here.
I am not particularly impressed with Reich on trade but if you want to lay out what you think is cogent I will be happy to take it apart.
We have a binary solution on trade, there are only 2 paths: bilateral or multilateral. President Obama, Biden and all of the wise leaders of the country understand that while never perfect that the benefits to the US with multilateral agreements are far greater than can be reached in bilateral. Secretary Clinton was for the TPP but when the nonsensical national economic populists in both parties poisoned the water and made it impossible to have an intelligent conversation she shaded her views.
Here is what she said about the TPP when she was in the administration
"This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field," she said then. "And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40% of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment. That's key because we know from experience, and of course research proves it, that respecting workers' rights leads to positive long-term economic outcomes, better jobs with higher wages and safer working conditions."
This is what she said when the Idiot Trump had poisoned the well and she had to put some distance
"I still believe in the goal of a strong and fair trade agreement in the Pacific as part of a broader strategy both at home and abroad, just as I did when I was secretary of State," she said in a statement. "But the bar here is very high and, based on what I have seen, I don't believe this agreement has met it."
That is not the same thing as being against it. When she was in the administration she called it the gold standard. When the issue became politicized with a bunch of lies from Trump she still endorsed the architecture, goals and substance of the agreement but wanted to reach some unspecified "bar". She was never against the TPP, she simply stated that it needed to be improved.
But hey you can continue to fight one of President Obama's clarion calls and support the misinformation of Trump every day of the week. Lots of people do.
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