It’s Time to Ditch Trump, Not the TPP

By Mark R. Kennedy (original source Foreign Policy)

“While some were celebrating that, after years of negotiations, the United States and 11 other nations had finally reached an agreement on the Tran-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took to Twitter to malign the trade pact as a “terrible deal.” The move was further proof, for those who still need it, that Trump is rich in negative bluster and bankrupt on positive ideas. If Congress heeds his populist pandering on TPP, it would weaken America, abandon our allies, harm American workers, and escalate tension with China. Bysupporting TPP, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio reflect their prioritizing sound policy over demagoguery.

No deal negotiated amongst 12 nations will be exactly what any one of them would have chosen, had they been allowed to set the terms. Some industriesare happier with the deal than others. The challenge of agreeing to international accords was highlighted again on Tuesday by the European Court of Justice upending a 15-year-old data transfer pact. Each of us can find something in the TPP final agreement that we oppose. However, in its entirety, the TPP is a profoundly positive geopolitical and economic step forward for America.”

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