TPP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday signed three orders on withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, freezing the hiring of federal workers and hitting foreign NGOs that help with abortion. "We've been talking about this for a long time," Trump said as he signed the executive order to withdraw from the TPP in the Oval Office. "Great thing for the American worker what we just did." The agreement, seen as a counter to China's rising economic influence, was promoted by Washington and aimed to…

WASHINGTON: The new US administration of President Donald Trump said on Friday its trade strategy to protect American jobs would start with withdrawal from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact. A White House statement issued soon after Trump's inauguration said the United States would also "crack down on those nations that violate trade agreements and harm American workers in the process." The statement said Trump was committed to renegotiating another trade deal, the North American Free Trade…

GENEVA: The head of the World Trade Organization said Thursday he had received no indication the United States would move to leave the WTO under Donald Trump's administration.  "I haven't had any indication from anybody that that could be the case," WTO chief Roberto Azevedo told reporters. During his campaign, in which he repeatedly attacked global trade deals, President-elect Trump called the WTO a "disaster" and said the US would "pull out" of the Geneva-based body if Washington was not able renegotiate the rules on…

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Monday announced the United States would signal its withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal on his first day in the White House, as one of six immediate steps aimed at "putting America first." The Republican billionaire - who for 10 days has been sounding out cabinet picks at his Trump Tower offices in New York - made the pledge in a short video message. The 70-year-old property tycoon outlined a list of priorities for his first 100 days and executive actions to be…