President Trump kills TPP on first full day in office
President Trump killed off TPP and abortion funding but opened door to Russians over IS.
- What was the TPP?
- Trump kills off TPP
- Abortion funding ban reinstated
- Door open to Russia cooperation on IS
- Protect US interests in South China Sea
On his first full day in office, US President Donald Trump lived up to his promise of killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership between America, Australia, New Zealand and nine other Pacific nations. Mike Pompeo, his pick as CIA director has been sworn in and Mr Trump has also opened the door to negotiations with Russia over Islamic State. But the sabres are rattling over the South China Sea.
That’s where we’ll leave our coverage of the day.
How the day unfolded
1.15pm: Pompeo sworn in as CIA director
Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the next CIA director. Speaking at the swearing in ceremony, Vice President Mike Pence praised Mr Pompeo’s “wealth of experience” and “character” and said he was “stepping up to lead the finest intelligence-gathering operation the world has ever seen.”
1.00pm: Turnbull “still hopeful” over TPP
Malcolm Turnbull remains hopeful the US could proceed with a Pacific-wide trade pact despite Donald Trump withdrawing America from the partnership today..
The Prime Minister said the new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was a long-time advocate of the TPP and many Republican in the Congress were also strong supporters.
“It is possible that US policy could change over time on this, as it has done on other trade deals,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra. “There is also the opportunity for the TPP to proceed without the United States.”
Asked whether China could be encouraged to join, Mr Turnbull said: “Certainly there is potential for China to join the TPP.” Mr Turnbull spoke with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe overnight about the future direction of the TPP, which Tokyo has ratified.
Both leaders agreed the deal was in the interests of both the Australian and Japanese people.
We’ll bring you the full story from Mr Turnbull’s press conference shortly.
12.35pm: California brings in liberal A-G
California has signalled its intention to defend women’s and gay rights by confirming a new attorney general who has vowed to defend the state’s liberal policies against the Trump administration and a Republican Congress.
Xavier Becerra easily cleared the final hurdle to become the state’s top law enforcement official, with a 26-9 vote along party lines in the Democratic-controlled state Senate. Mr Becerra, who represented the Los Angeles area in the US House for more than two decades, will be the state’s first Latino attorney general.
Democrats said Becerra will fight to defend California’s protections for the gay and lesbian community, women and immigrants.
“He will be a very strong partner for our state to work with the federal government when we can and to resist when we must,” said Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat.
12.30pm: “We’ll protect our interests in South China Sea”
The White House has warned China it will “defend” US and international “interests” in the South China Sea and that trade must be a “two-way street.” Signaling Mr Trump’s tough stance against Beijing, spokesman Sean Spicer said “the US is going to make sure we protect our interests” in the South China Sea.
“If those islands are, in fact, in international waters and not part of China proper, yeah, we’ll make sure we defend international interests from being taken over by one country.”
China lays claim to a vast extent of the South China Sea within a so-called “nine dash line,” including waters claimed by several of its neighbors.
The Obama administration was neutral on the legal question of sovereignty over the islets, reefs and shoals but supported freedom of navigation by sending naval patrols through Chinese-claimed turf.
Last week, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson suggested a hardening of this stance, calling China’s building of bases on the disputed islands illegal.
“We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that, first the island building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed,” he said.
Mr Tillerson’s remarks raised the prospect of a confrontation between the world’s two greatest powers, and today Mr Spicer did nothing from the White House podium to row them back.
He also took a tough line on trade, returning to Mr Trump’s campaign theme that existing rules favor Chinese exports to the United States and cost American jobs.
Mr Spicer said Mr Trump is aware that US firms need access to China’s large domestic market, but he isn’t prepared to accept that current arrangements continue.
“It’s not a two way street,” he said.
12.10pm: Pompeo confirmed as CIA chief
The US Senate has confirmed Representative Mike Pompeo to be Donald Trump’s director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
His elevation comes despite some congressional concerns he might expand surveillance or allow the use of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques that are widely considered to be torture.
There were 67 yes votes, which were more than enough to confirm Pompeo, and 30 voted against.
Almost all the opposition was from Democrats.
11.50am: Trump’s execution orders
Let’s just have a look at what Mr Trump has killed off today and what has been allowed to survive.
The TPP, billed as the gold-standard in free trade deals and a strategy to blunt China’s dominance in the Asia-Pacific, was killed off with the stroke of a pen early today as Mr Trump focuses on recasting America’s trade relations.
Next, women’s health care was dealt a blow as Mr Trump reinstated a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option.
Mr Trump signed the banning order one day after the January 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalised abortion in the United States.
The policy also prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalise abortion or promote it as a family planning method.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal criticized the abortion move, saying it “confirms our worst fears about his administration’s assault on women’s health care.”
But Russia has come out well so far, with the White House administration opening the door to cooperating with Russia “or anyone else” to combat the Islamic State group in Syria, suggesting it could reverse a previous refusal to coordinate military action with Moscow as long as it backs the Syrian government.
11.45am: Hanson “pleased” over TPP
Pauline Hanson has welcomed America’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and says she is confident Australia will follow suit
The One Nation leader said she did not support the TPP and was happy with the development.
“I was very pleased to see that the President of the United States has pulled out of it and hence I’m sure it will flow onto Australia (and) we won’t go ahead with it,” Senator Hanson said.
She said she had grave concerns about past free trade agreements and would rather deal with them on a case-by-case basis, as Mr Trump is suggesting the US do.
“I would like to look at doing free trade with countries on an individual needs basis and what is in the best interests of Australia,” she said. “I just feel these free trade agreements should be on the table for all to look at them before they are signed behind closed doors.”
11.30am: Trump hit with lawsuit
The first lawsuit alleging Mr Trump is violating the US Constitution by retaining ownership of businesses that accept payments from foreign sources has been filed by a government watchdog group.
The lawsuit demands that Mr Trump is banned from accepting payments from companies owned by foreign governments, foreign diplomats who stay at his hotels and overseas public broadcasters that air The Apprentice.
Mr Trump has dismissed the claims by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) as “totally without merit”. However he could be ordered to surrender his business records as part of the litigation.
“We just don’t know the extent of his relationships with foreign governments,” Richard Painter from CREW, told The Wall St Journal.
11.10am: “Our intention is never to lie”
After that testy press conference over the weekend in which the White House administration introduced us to “alternative facts” rather than the, er, truth, the White House press secretary charged with stewarding the rocky relationship between Donald Trump and the media today tried to sooth tensions.
Sean Spice stuck to the widely disputed claim that the inauguration was the most-watched in history and cedlined to apologise for having given out incorrect public transport numbers at what had been an unusually testy press briefing on the weekend.
But he did cut a strikingly more conciliatory figure, claiming that Mr Trump wanted to be a “listening president”.
Mr Spicer told a packed room of reporters: “I want to make sure we have a healthy relationship.” He added: “Our intention is never to lie to you. It’s an honour to do this. I believe that we have to be honest with the American people.”
You can read the full article here.
11.00am: “Unshakeable commitment to NATO”
New US Secretary of Defence James Mattis reassured his British counterpart on Monday that Washington has an “unshakeable commitment” to NATO, despite Donald Trump previously casting the military alliance as obsolete.
During a phone call with Michael Fallon on his first full day in office, Gen. Mattis “emphasised the United States’ unshakeable commitment to NATO,” Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said in a statement.
This may (or may not) allay some fears over Mr Trump’s plan for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. He has already made it clear that Germany, France, Britain and Italy will have to bear a greater share of the cost of the organisation.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Washington on Friday. She will be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since he took office last week
10.20am: “Include China in TPP”
Professor of International Law at the Australian National University, Don Rothwell, told The Australian the TPP could be renegotiated and even expanded to include China, writes Joe Kelly.
He said the existing terms of the agreement prevented the TPP proceeding without the participation of the US, but argued this could be sidestepped if there was a renegotiation of the “entry into force” provisions set out at article 30.5 of the deal.
He argued the remaining 11 member countries could simply renegotiate this provision or embark on a more expansive renegotiation with to incorporate the interests of new member countries like Indonesia or China.
“The TPP is a treaty. And as a treaty it can be renegotiated. It’s very clear that on its current terms it cannot enter into force without the US being a party,” he told The Australian.
“The relevant provision is article 30.5 and that deals with entry into force. The entry into force provision required at least 6 of the original signatories and, of those six, they must account for at least 85 per cent of the combined GDP of the original signatories.”
“In terms of Ciobo talking about a TPP being “12 minus one” which is effectively the TPP minus the US - if countries wanted to pursue that, they’d have to negotiate article 30.5.”
“If on the other hand, they were seeking to include other economies that would more than likely be a more substantive negotiation because a country like Indonesia would seek to bring its own interests to the table and that would see some adjustment.”
Interior decorating: The first "jumbos" are up in the White House in the old frames where Obama photos used to hang. pic.twitter.com/n0dV3PIiXD
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) January 22, 2017
10.15am: Trump vows backing for Egypt
Donald Trump has spoken with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi, in the first conversation between the two since Mr. Trump took office. They spoke a month ago as Mr. Trump sought to intervene in a move at the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction. Egypt had drafted the UN resolution but called for a delay on the vote after Mr. Sisi spoke with Mr. Trump. The resolution later passed because the Obama administration, in a break with tradition, decided for the first time not to use its veto power at the UN to block the resolution on behalf of Israel. In their conversation on Monday, Mr. Trump stressed the strong ties between the two countries, according to both the White House and Egyptian state media. Egyptian state media reported that Mr. Sisi expressed hope that bilateral ties would see a “new push” under the Trump administration.
Efforts against terrorism and extremism led the discussion, both the White House and Egyptian state media said, with Mr. Trump praising Egypt’s efforts. Mr. Sisi reiterated his plans to wipe out terrorism despite the economic burden the fight places on the country, state media reported. Mr. Trump in turn pledged his administration’s full backing of Egypt, and developing mutual cooperation in all sectors, including economic overhauls, the White House said. Arrangements also are under way for a potential visit by Mr. Sisi to Washington, both U.S. officials and Egyptian state media said, but didn’t indicate when.
10.05am: Tillerson approved as Secretary of State
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of state.
The panel voted along party lines, 11-10, to recommend Rex Tillerson’s nomination to the full Senate, where he is almost certain to be confirmed by the Republican-led chamber.
9.55am: Door open to Russia cooperation on IS
The Trump administration has opened the door to cooperating with Russia “or anyone else” to combat the Islamic State group in Syria, suggesting it could reverse a previous refusal to coordinate military action with Moscow as long as it backs the Syrian government.
“I think if there’s a way that we can combat ISIS with any country, whether it’s Russia or anyone else, and we have a shared national interest in that, sure, we’ll take it,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.
Asked if the openness extended to working with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been condemned internationally for killing civilians, Spicer said, “We’re not going to get together with people under the guise of defeating ISIS if that’s not truly their guise.” He added, “So let’s not take that too far.”
Spicer also suggested that Mr Trump already has told Defence Secretary James Mattis to review how he might change the US approach to fighting the Islamic State. “I think he has ordered it,” Spicer said, adding that Mr Trump would discuss the matter with Gen. Mattis during a visit to the Pentagon on Friday.
“At that time, he will continue to have conversations about what he wants from them and the joint chiefs,” he said/
9.40am: Trump’s cabinet - white and male
The New York Times has compared Mr Trump’s cabinet with the past five presidents and found that so far it is more male and white than any president since Ronald Reagan.
The number of white men in both Mr Trump and Mr Reagan’s cabinets stands at 17 cmopared with just eight for Barack Obama,11 for George W. Bush, 10 for Bill Clinton and 12 for George Bush Sr.
The newspaper points out that if Mr Trump’s nominees are confirmed, women and nonwhites will hold just five of 22 cabinet or cabinet level poisitons - and those five will be in some of the lowest positions.
9.30am: Senate debates CIA chief
The Democrats are stalling the nomination of Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s pick to run the CIA, raising questions about whether he is transparent in his beliefs about Russia’s involvement in the US election and how he feels about torture.
Democrats have previously voiced their concern about Mike Pompeo, a Kansas congressman who was a champion of the Tea Party movement, in particular his stance on waterboarding. Mr Pompeo has said he would back a revision of a ban on waterboarding if it was shown to impede the gathering of “vital intelligence to protect the country”.
Senate Republicans had hoped to vote on Mr Pompeo’s nomination on Friday, after Mr Trump’s inauguration. But Democrats succeeded in stalling action until they could debate. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Patrick Leahy of Vermont objected to what they said was a “rushed confirmation” and demanded more time for Mr Pompeo’s nomination to be “vetted, questioned and debated.”
9.25am: Trump’s day so far
Busy week planned with a heavy focus on jobs and national security. Top executives coming in at 9:00 A.M. to talk manufacturing in America.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2017
So far today, Donald Trump has hosted a breakfast and listening session with business leaders at the White House. and signed executive orders - most notably on the TPP.
He has also met with union leaders and American workers and will meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan in about half an hour.
The Senate is also due to vote on the nomination of Mike Pompeo, Mr Trump’s pick to run the CIA.
9.10am: ‘Go for deals other than TPP’
Donald Trump has told union leaders the TPP “wasn’t the right way,” and that he would pursue one on one deals with countries rather than multinational agreements.
Meanwhile, Macquarie Group deputy chairman Mark Johnson has cautioned against wasting political capital on pact as business heavyweights line up to back other trade pacts, including a deal championed by China, writes Annabel Hepworth.
“If it were me, I would not waste political capital on it but I would go to work in the region where obviously there is the ASEAN initiative and also there’s the Chinese initiatives,” Mr Johnson told The Australian.
“That’s where now the hope lies, I think.”
To read the full article, click here.
9.03am: Hockey: Withdrawal helps Aus farmers
Australia’s Trade Minister Steven Ciobo says he doesn’t “subscribe to the sometimes-reported view that President Trump is anti-trade,” writes Adam Creighton. Speaking at a luncheon in New York hosted by the American Australia Association, he said: “There is nothing unusual about a government wanting trade deals to be in their national interest. I want trade deals that are in Australia’s national interest,” he said in a speech an event
Mr Ciobo pointed approvingly to recent remarks by US Treasury Secretary designate Steve Mnuchin, who said Mr Trump was “very much interested in free and fair trade”. “This is not about limiting imports, this is about growing exports,” Mr Mnuchin said in his Senate testimony last week.
Australian Ambassador to the US Joe Hockey, also in attendance, said the US withdrawal from the TPP had indirectly helped Australian farmers. “Effectively what the president did today was give us a great advantage in beef exports to Japan,” Mr Hockey said, noting Japanese tariffs on beef would remain high for the US exporters.
8.55am: TPP move ‘puts world on notice’
How is the US media treating Mr Trump’s decision withdraw the US from the TPP deal?
The New York Times describes the move as ‘a blow to Obama’s legacy and ‘a signal that he plans to follow through on promises to take a more aggressive stance against foreign competitors’.
The Washington Post describes Mr Trump’s move as ‘recasting America’s role in the global economy’, adding ‘the order was largely symbolic — the deal was already essentially dead in Congress — but served to signal that Trump’s tough talk on trade during the campaign will carry over to his new administration’.
The Wall Street Journal says the TPP agreement had been aimed at curbing China’s advantage and the move ‘creates an American policy vacuum in a fast-growing region that includes China and longtime US allies’.
Eswar Prasad, a Cornell University economist and former top China official at the International Monetary Fund, says the move ‘puts the world on notice’.
“This abrupt action so early in the Trump administration puts the world on notice that all of America’s traditional economic and political alliances are now open to reassessment, renegotiation and possibly even reversal,” said Mr Prasad.
8.42am: Trump adviser reassures Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet began a three-day retreat in Calgary on Monday hearing from a Donald Trump senior economic adviser who urged Canada not to fear US trade intentions.
At the retreat to map out Ottawa’s demands in a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Trump adviser Stephen Schwarzman said Canadians should not be “enormously worried” about the protectionist rhetoric coming out of the White House.
US President Donald Trump campaigned on securing a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico or, failing that, ripping up the 1994 trilateral trade pact.
But Schwarzman said this and other proposed measures, such as a possible US border tax, are not aimed at Canada. “There may be some modifications, but basically, things should go well for Canada,” he said.
8.33am: ‘Trade deals took US jobs’
President Trump has told union leaders that he is redoing the nation’s trade deals “to put a lot of people back to work.” Trump convened a meeting of about a dozen labour leaders today at the White House.
As well as announcing the his intention to withdraw the US from the TPP, Trump also said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement “at the appropriate time” and said he wanted future deals to be between just two countries.
The president repeated his campaign criticism of the current agreements, saying it was “inconceivable this was allowed to happen.” He has blamed the trade deals for a decline in American manufacturing jobs.
8.26am: Oil ‘big priority’
President Trump’s press secretary has reiterated the president’s support for energy projects like the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Sean Spicer didn’t say whether Trump would seek to reverse the Army’s decision to explore alternate routes for the $3.8 billion project to move North Dakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois. But he described projects like Dakota Access as “a big priority.”
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters say the pipeline - which is nearly complete - threatens drinking water and Native American cultural sites. Developer Energy Transfer Partners - which Trump once owned stock in - disputes that.
8.25am: White House website vanishes
Spain has voiced alarm after the White House’s Spanish-language website vanished after Donald Trump came to power, saying removing it was “not a good idea” in a country with millions of Hispanics.
But White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer today eased concerns, saying the website was merely being updated. “We have got the IT folks working overtime right now to continue to get all of that up to speed,” he told reporters.
Earlier, Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis had expressed concern over the sudden disappearance of the website. “We believe it is not a good idea to give up on such a communication tool, given that this is a country with 52 million Spanish speakers,” he said.
8.18am: Attorney general vote delay
The top Democrat on the US Senate Judiciary Committee plans to request a delay in the confirmation vote on President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, a move that will push the panel’s vote back to January 31. The Judiciary panel was scheduled to vote Tuesday on Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions’ nomination. But committee rules allow any member of the panel to hold a vote over until the next week, and members of both parties frequently do.
Several Democrats on the panel have already said they will vote against Sessions. Most have said they are sceptical that the Republican will be fair and committed to civil rights, a chief priority of the Justice Department during the Obama administration. Sessions has laid out a sharply conservative vision for the Justice Department, pledging to crack down on illegal immigration, gun violence and terrorism.
8.00am: Trump’s tweets ‘presidential records’
Among some big decisions coming from the White House this morning, an interesting call by the National Archives and Records Administration, who say President Trump’s tweets are considered presidential records that need to be preserved for historic purposes. However officials have yet to say whether his administration needs to preserve even altered or deleted tweets.
After a misspelled statement from Trump’s private Twitter account was altered at the weekend and later deleted, an archives spokeswoman said today that officials had yet to say whether those records are also subject to preservation. Trump tweeted the day after his inauguration that he was “honered” to serve the American people. The tweet was later corrected to “honored” and then later removed entirely.
7.58am: Trump nominates Air Force Secretary
President Donald Trump nominated Heather Wilson, an Air Force veteran and former US representative from New Mexico, to fill the Air Force’s top civilian post, a move that comes as Secretary of Defense James Mattis appoints his staff at the Pentagon. Ms. Wilson is Mr. Trump’s second military service secretary nominee. He previously announced Vincent Viola, the founder of a high-frequency trading firm and a US Army veteran, as his choice for secretary of the Army. Mr. Trump hasn’t revealed his choice for secretary of the Navy, the third and final U.S. service secretary. All the positions require U.S. Senate confirmation.
JOE KELLY 7.47am: TPP could be salvaged: Ciobo
Australia’s Trade Minister Steven Ciobo says there is scope for China to join up to the Trans Pacific Partnership
Despite Mr Trump signing the executive order overnight, Mr Ciobo argued this morning that the Turnbull government would continue to keep alive the option of ratifying the TPP by putting it to a vote in the Australian parliament and accused Labor of turning its back on the decades long bipartisan political consensus on free trade. Read the full story.
7.20am: Mexico seeks US dialogue
Mexico has vowed “no confrontation and no submission” in renegotiating relations with the United States under its President Donald Trump but admitted it planned to seek alternative trade partners.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he was willing to discuss trade, illegal migration and other aspects of bilateral ties with Trump but insisted he would defend Mexico’s national interests.
“Neither confrontation nor submission: the solution is dialogue and negotiation,” Pena Nieto said in a speech outlining his strategy for relations with Trump.
The new US president has threatened to scrap international trade accords to protect US jobs.
7.16am: US stocks dip
US stocks, the dollar and yields on government bonds fell after President Donald Trump said he would shake up the country’s trade and tax policy. Some market participants said Monday’s moves reflected unease over a lack of specifics in Mr. Trump’s plans. Read the full story.
7.06am: Trump to discuss IS effort
President Donald Trump will visit the Department of Defence on Friday to review the anti-Islamic State policy.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that the president will visit the Pentagon to attend a ceremony for his newly confirmed defence secretary, retired General James Mattis.
He says that Trump will also hold discussions with Mattis and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review the fight against the Islamic State group. The US has nearly 5,000 soldiers taking part in the anti-IS coalition in Iraq, as well as special forces in both Iraq and Syria.
6.30am: Abortion funding ban reinstated
President Donald Trump is reinstating a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option.
The regulation has been something of a political football, instituted by Republican administrations and rescinded by Democratic ones since 1984. Most recently, President Barack Obama ended the ban in 2009. Trump signed it one day after the January 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalised abortion in the United States, the date which is traditionally when presidents take action on the policy. The policy also prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalise abortion or promote it as a family planning method.
6.00am: Trump kills off TPP
With the stroke of his pen and a smile, US President Donald Trump lived up to his promise of killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership between America, Australia, New Zealand and nine other Pacific nations.
The TPP was originally billed as the gold-standard in free trade deals and a strategy to blunt China’s dominance in the Asia-Pacific.
But just three days after the TPP’s champion, former president Barack Obama, moved out of the White House, Trump, sitting in the Oval Office, signed the executive order to withdraw the US from the TPP.
It is a major blow to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as the TPP was the key plank of the nation’s trade policy.
“Everyone knows what that means, right?” Trump said at the signing ceremony. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time. It’s a great thing for the American worker.” A slimmed down TPP, without the US, could emerge, although China is expected to move in and fill the hole left by America.
China was not invited to join the TPP.
Australian Trade Minster Steven Ciobo, who is in the US, said on the weekend he had been speaking with remaining TPP nations “on ways to lock in the benefits from the TPP” without US involvement.
The TPP has had a long history.
Negotiations began more than eight years ago and Australia’s prime ministers during the period - Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and Mr Turnbull - all threw their support behind it.
Hillary Clinton, as US secretary of state, said during a speech in 2012 in Adelaide the TPP was the “gold standard in trade agreements” while Obama sided with his usual foes, Republican members of Congress, in an attempt to make the TPP a reality.
The release by WikiLeaks of Clinton’s presidential campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails showed the internal debate among Clinton’s advisers about whether she should support or oppose the TPP.
With her Democrat rival Bernie Sanders and Republican frontrunner Trump opposing the TPP, Clinton made a surprise move by announcing an anti-TPP stance. There was hope in Australia and other TPP nations Clinton would win the election and in the final weeks of Obama’s term he would push it through Congress, but that ended with Trump’s victory.
Other TPP members were: Canada, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Chile, Vietnam, Peru, Brunei and Malaysia.
Trump said on Monday he was pursuing what he calls “fair trade”, not free trade, and he has China and Japan in his sights.
He called out Japan, a TPP member, for making “it impossible to sell” US cars in Japan.
“If you want to sell something into China and other countries it’s very, very hard,” Trump told a meeting of chief executives of some of America’s biggest companies earlier on Monday.
“In some cases it’s impossible. They won’t even take your product. “But when they do take your product they charge you a lot of tax. “I don’t call that free trade. What we want is fair trade.” In the meeting with company heads, including Australian Dow Chemical chief executive Andrew Liveris who was appointed as one of Trump’s key advisers, the president laid out his plans to cut regulations for businesses in the US and slash the company tax rate from 35 per cent “down to anywhere from 15 to 20 per cent”.
“What we want to do is bring manufacturing back to our country,” he told Liveris and the chief executives of other companies including Ford, US Steel and Lockheed Martin, said.
He said companies that moved factories out of the US and then tried to sell its products back to America would be punished with a “very major border tax”.
EXPLAINER: What was the TPP supposed to be?
* The Trans-Pacific Partnership was the world’s largest regional trade agreement, involving 12 nations and covering about 40 per cent of the global economy.
* Australia joined the negotiations in late 2008 and Trade Minister Andrew Robb was lead negotiator.
* The TPP was hoped to eliminate more than 98 per cent of tariffs in the region, removing import taxes on about $9 billion of Australian trade. * Beyond market access, the TPP was to create a single set of trade and investment rules between its members countries making it easier and simpler for Australian companies to trade in the region.
What countries were involved?
* Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
* Last year, one third of Australia’s total goods and services exports - worth $109 billion - was sent to TPP countries.
What was the deal to cover?
* Exports, including beef, dairy, grains, sugar, horticulture, seafood, wine, resources and energy, and manufactured and other goods.
* It also addressed modern trade and investment issues such as competition, e-commerce, anti-corruption and levelling the playing field between private business and state-owned enterprises.
* The TPP will not have required any changes to Australia’s intellectual property laws or policies, whether in copyright, pharmaceutical patents or enforcement.
* Australia’s five years of data protection for biologic medicines (made from genetically-engineered proteins derived from human genes) was to remain unchanged.
What happened?
* New US President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the TPP just three days after its champion, Barack Obama left the White House.
* Other presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton had also pledged to do the same if she was elected.
* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, had last week discussed the possibility of other member countries quickly ratifying the deal to pressure the US to stay on board.
- With AP, AAP, AFP
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