Trump considers rejoining TPP

Trump considers rejoining TPP

The statement was made by Mr. Trump during a meeting with Republican senators on April 12.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said that during that meeting, President Trump revealed that he had directed US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow to consider restarting negotiations.

In January 2017, a few days after taking office, President Trump signed a statement withdrawing the US from the TPP but left open the possibility of returning if the terms of the agreement were more favorable to the US.

President Trump has criticized the previous administration's decision to join the TPP, saying it was a disaster that would cost American jobs.

"The president has always said he will negotiate a deal that is better for America," Walters said.

Senator Ben Sasse, a pro-trade Republican, called President Trump's decision to consider rejoining the TPP "good news."

Since the US withdrawal from the TPP, 11 other countries have launched their own negotiations, removing chapters and provisions on investment, government procurement and intellectual property - key areas that Washington opposed under Trump.

A new agreement called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was then signed in Chile earlier this March.

Canada and Mexico, two countries that are struggling to negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States, are also present in the CPTPP.

When asked about the new developments from the US, a senior Canadian government official said it was too early to say what the CPTPP would look like or if the TPP would be revived if the US joined.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump showed himself to be skeptical of multilateral trade agreements, arguing that bilateral deals could offer better terms.