By: Carrie Phillips
This week Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met with President Donald Trump to discuss possible talks of the the U.S. rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. After their meeting on Friday a joint press conference was called. Trump announced that, in the future, he would reconsider joining the TTP if it was a "better deal" for the U.S. Trump stated the reason for backing out: "It was a very bad deal that would have cost the U.S. a tremendous number of jobs." In addition to pressure from the Australian government, on Friday a group of 25 senators sent Trump a letter asking him to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Mr. Turnbull said that this decisions will not happen anytime soon. Trump has to honor an election pledge to withdraw from the TTP. Donald Trump backed out from the TTP within his first week in office last year. The TTP will be signed by the 11 remaining nations this month.
In addition, Australia is also opening up new trade talks between the U.S. to expand a regional trade agreement. This meeting has now opened the door for future talks on the TPP and allows for other countries to reach new terms on trade with the U.S. It will be interesting to see if Trump sticks to his campaign promise, or listens to the senators and the nations around him.We will have to wait and see how the agreement works, and when Trump may consider negotiations for getting back in.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180224_12/
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-and-us-to-hold-new-talks-on-trans-pacific-partnership-20180225-p4z1nx.html
https://www.bnn.ca/trump-says-u-s-re-entering-tpp-a-possibility-1.1009118
