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Sieren's China: Trump's opening gambit with Asia | Asia | DW.COM | 26.11.2016
Two weeks after his election Donald Trump says the U.S. will not join the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement during his term in office. Barack Obama took seven years to negotiate the trade agreement which was opposed by trade unions, the auto industry and was unpopular in the midwestern U.S. because of the impact of trade in hollowing out the manufacturing sector. Here Frank Sieren of the DW.com points out that the agreement was not really about trade, as most of the gains of trade had already been realized according to experts. It was part of the "pivot to Asia" to maintain American dominance in the region, says Sieren. After China pulled together some Asian and European countries into its trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the U.S. pushed for TPP as a counterweight to the China sponsored trade zone. China says it will try to integrate the countries in TPP into the trade zone it has sponsored. President Trump has said that the U.S. is better off negotiating agreements with each country and not getting into multilateral trade agreements. He fought the election campaign on the basis of the opposition to TPP and trade agreements that unfairly hurt American workers. This could have provided the 110,000 margin of victory in the states suffering from the hollowing out in manufacturing such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. A similar hollowing out in Ontario favored Justin Trudeau's Liberals against the Conservatives in Canada's election.
Globalization and the white working class in Europe and the U.S. in 2016- job losses, regional disparities, growing inequality with declining incomes
07/13/2016
Sanders, Trump, in the U.S., Marie Le Pen in France, and Brexiters in England appeal to white working class which has not benefitted from trade agreements and globalization. Globalization has produced very different outcomes for different industries and regions, benefitting some and hurting others. Leaders of existing political parties have failed to grasp and respond to these changes leaving room for others to take up the cause of the white working class. TPP trade agreement for instance benefits the information technology industry and hurts the automobile industry in the U.S., producing unequal outcomes that come after years of job losses and hollowing out in some industries- making it unpopular, and raising questions about the wisdom of such policies when most of the gains in free trade are already behind us according to Krugman and other experts.
Grouped Articles
Brexit: The Era of the Angry Voter Is Upon Us - SPIEGEL ONLINE
SPIEGEL ONLINE 07/06/2016
What the New GOP Means for Wall Street
WSJ 07/19/2016
Support for Trump in unexpected places | US elections 2016 | DW.COM | 20.07.2016
DW.COM 07/20/2016
The presidential campaign and the US middle class | US elections 2016 | DW.COM | 13.03.2016
DW.COM 03/13/2016
Hillary Clinton Asks Not for Trust, but for Faith in Her Competence
The New York Times 07/29/2016
Two Political Conventions, Two Distinct World Views
WSJ 07/28/2016
U.S. negotiations with Japan for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
04/21/2015
Grouped Articles
Abe: U.S., Japan Close to TPP Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal 04/21/2015
Pacific Trade Pact Revives Ghosts of Nafta Jobs Fight
Wall Street Journal 04/24/2015
Obama Presses Case for Asia Trade Deal, Warns Failure Would Benefit China
Wall Street Journal 04/27/2015
Trans-Pacific Partnership Puts Harvard Law School Rivals on Opposite Sides, Again
New York Times 04/27/2015
Obama’s Uphill Push for Free Trade
Wall Street Journal 04/30/2015
The United States, Japan and trade: Don’t treat trade as a weapon
Economist 04/25/2015
U.S. Congressional opposition to giving trade promotion authority to president Obama, and fast track for TPP, other free trade pacts
02/26/2015
Grouped Articles
Lawmakers Introduce ‘Fast Track’ Trade Bill, Triggering Democratic Discord
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
TPP: Momentum on Trade Deal Bolsters U.S., Japan Efforts to Counter China
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
Deal Reached on Fast-Track Authority for Obama on Trade Accord
New York Times 04/16/2015
Obama Tries Tough Sale of TPP Trade Deal to Fellow Democrats
Wall Street Journal 04/18/2015
Obama Promotes Benefits of Trade Deals to Workers and Smaller Businesses
New York Times 02/26/2015
How teachers, firefighters and service workers union joined the opposition to the TPP and granting fast track trade authority in 2015, and why
06/12/2015
Firefighters and other service workers unions actively campaigned against the trade bills in Congress for the first time in 2015. The public sector unions now see how the closing of American factories, the decline in neighborhoods near plants, affects the demand for public services and the ability of cities and municipalities to pay for the public services. The decline in wages for industrial workers creates a negative perception for the higher wages in the public sector, reducing support from struggling industrial workers. The drastic drop in factory wages with globalization and the shrinking revenues of cities as incomes decline, is leading to a realization in labor that workers are affected in many ways by seemingly unrelated developments in trade and globalization. Another development is the expert information that shows the need for investment in infrastructure in the poorer countries of Latin America, and in the U.S., which would provide significant benefits. The benefits from trade tariff reduction are now small, as most of the benefits were achieved through earlier action in trade.
Grouped Articles
Labor’s Might Seen in Failure of Trade Deal as Unions Allied to Thwart It
New York Times 06/13/2015
Washington Dysfunction, With a Twist: Democrats Desert Their President
New York Times 06/12/2015
Unions Declare Partial Victory Against Obama’s Pacific Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal 06/15/2015
Washington Post 10/23/2015
McConnell warns that trade deal can’t pass Congress before 2016 elections - The Washington Post
Washington Post 12/11/2015
Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Would Lift U.S. Incomes, but Not Jobs Overall, Study Says
New York Times 01/25/2016
Issues raised in Letters to the Editor of the NYT and the WSJ on the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Pact (TPP)
02/27/2014
The issues raised cover worker protections, and also include some that are not frequently mentioned. Including the right granted to large corporations in TPP to sue the U.S. and other governments on issues where the governments have acted in the public interest as it relates to the environment, health, safeguards related to poor industry practices. A letter to WSJ says president Obama is doing this to look like a centrist president for his legacy, and not for free trade. Separately Krugman points to the issue of intellectual property rights enforcement that has the potential of making it harder to provide access to modern medicine to people in developing countries, a serious pitfall. Response to criticism by the Obama administration has generally talked about the merits of free trade which are generally accepted, and not the specific provisions, or the context in which most of the gains in free trade have already been made in the seven decades to 2015 and the remaining gains are much smaller coming with some losses. The global economy now benefits more from investments in infrastructure both in developing and advanced economies, which is why China's Infrastructure Investment Bank has received such wide support, including EU countries and India. The Obama administration has failed to make the case for investment in infrastructure to the American public, at a time when large productivity gains can be made here following about 2 decades of neglect. A similiar situation exists in Germany, and is especially true of Latin American countries which have serious infrastructure problems that reduce economic growth.
Grouped Articles
In the Heat of the Pacific Trade Battle
New York Times 05/22/2015
New York Times 05/22/2015
New York Times 02/27/2014
No Obama Tears for TPA or the TPP
Wall Street Journal 05/22/2015
Obama Presses Currency Compromise in Trade Pact
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015
Pelosi Rejects Appeals, Hands Obama a Trade Defeat
Wall Street Journal 06/13/2015
The U.S. sponsored Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
02/05/2011
Grouped Articles
'Three Amigos' Outline Trade Goals at Talks
Wall Street Journal 02/20/2014
In Mexico Meeting, a Show of Friendship With Few Results on Immigration and Trade
New York Times 02/19/2014
Lawmakers Introduce ‘Fast Track’ Trade Bill, Triggering Democratic Discord
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
TPP: Momentum on Trade Deal Bolsters U.S., Japan Efforts to Counter China
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015
Obama Tries Tough Sale of TPP Trade Deal to Fellow Democrats
Wall Street Journal 04/18/2015
The demise of the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement with the election of Donald Trump
11/26/2016
Grouped Articles
Sieren's China: Trump's opening gambit with Asia | Asia | DW.COM | 26.11.2016
DW.COM 11/26/2016
How Donald Trump May Actually Widen the U.S. Trade Deficit
WSJ 12/12/2016
Aging Population, Stagnant Productivity Challenge Donald Trump’s Growth Plan
WSJ 12/04/2016
Germany's Merkel to warn Trump about dangers of protectionism | News | DW.COM | 14.01.2017
DW.COM 01/14/2017
Xi Jinping signals China will champion free trade if Trump builds barriers
The Guardian 01/17/2017
China’s Xi Jinping Seizes Role as Leader on Globalization
WSJ 01/17/2017
2014 trade talks between the U.S., Canada and Mexico
02/19/2014
Discussion topics between Obama, Harper and Nieto in Toluca, Mexico, include Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), Keystone pipeline, immigration and trade issues.
Grouped Articles
'Three Amigos' Outline Trade Goals at Talks
Wall Street Journal 02/20/2014
In Mexico Meeting, a Show of Friendship With Few Results on Immigration and Trade
New York Times 02/19/2014
House Passes Bill to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline
Wall Street Journal 11/14/2014
Transcript: Obama’s immigration speech - The Washington Post
Washington Post 11/21/2014
Obama Doubts and Lower Gas Prices Cloud Keystone Future
Wall Street Journal 12/28/2014
Obama Threatens to Veto Keystone Pipeline Approval
Wall Street Journal 01/07/2015
Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement- winners and losers
04/07/2011
A study by Prof. Petri of Brandeis University, shows economic output going up by 0.4% by 2025 or $77 billion for the U.S. as a result of the TPP agreement. Biologic drugs, with long term patent protection, software engineering services, high tech industry are the winners, losers are the Detroit auto industry facing higher imports, light manufacturing in textiles and paper, and some heavy manufacturing sectors. Douglas Irwin of Datmouth and other experts say it is not clear how much of the benefit will affect consumers and businesses in the U.S. Most of the tariff cut gains are already made and import duties as a percentage of total imports are down to 1.4% today. Experts say 4/5th of the benefits for the U.S. are not from tariff cuts but from new rules for trade in services, and new rules for investment and commerce. The agreement brings together Pacific area countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Agriculture is protected in Canada especially in Quebec, and in Japan, which means tough negotiations to open up this sector. Politically the TPP is a response by the U.S. and Japan to the Infrastructure Investment Bank set up by China with support from Europe and India.
Grouped Articles
Pacific Trade Deal Likely to Have Narrow Reach
Wall Street Journal 08/01/2015
Auto-Parts Dispute Taps the Brakes on Pacific Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal 09/04/2015
Why You May Soon See More Goods Labeled ‘Made in Vietnam’
Wall Street Journal 10/19/2015
Utah Senator, Crucial Ally for the Pacific Rim Trade Deal, Is Now Its Main Hurdle
New York Times 11/12/2015
McConnell warns that trade deal can’t pass Congress before 2016 elections - The Washington Post
Washington Post 12/11/2015
Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Would Lift U.S. Incomes, but Not Jobs Overall, Study Says
New York Times 01/25/2016
Changes to TPP and fast track trade legislation by the Obama administration to accomodate critics
05/24/2015
Grouped Articles
Obama Presses Currency Compromise in Trade Pact
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015
Senate Passes Fast-Track Trade Legislation
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015
Pelosi Rejects Appeals, Hands Obama a Trade Defeat
Wall Street Journal 06/13/2015
House Rejects Trade Measure, Rebuffing Obama’s Dramatic Appeal
New York Times 06/12/2015
Senate Clears Trade Bill’s Way to Passage
Wall Street Journal 06/24/2015
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Works Globally to Fight Antismoking Measures
New York Times 06/30/2015
The Senate vote on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and fast track trade authority
05/22/2015
Grouped Articles
Senate Vote Is a Victory for Obama on Trade, but a Tougher Test Awaits
New York Times 05/22/2015
Obama Presses Currency Compromise in Trade Pact
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015
Senate Passes Fast-Track Trade Legislation
Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015
Pelosi Rejects Appeals, Hands Obama a Trade Defeat
Wall Street Journal 06/13/2015
House Rejects Trade Measure, Rebuffing Obama’s Dramatic Appeal
New York Times 06/12/2015
Senate Clears Trade Bill’s Way to Passage
Wall Street Journal 06/24/2015
Krugman on free trade and the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Pact (TPP)
02/27/2014
Grouped Articles
In the Heat of the Pacific Trade Battle
New York Times 05/22/2015
New York Times 05/22/2015
New York Times 02/27/2014
After Michigan Loss, Hillary Clinton Sharpens Message on Jobs and Trade
New York Times 03/09/2016
Free Trade Loses Political Favor
Wall Street Journal 03/10/2016
New York Times 03/11/2016
The conflicting objectives of Japan and Mexico, Canada, UAW and the U.S., relating to auto parts and components during negotiations for the TPP
09/04/2015
Japan uses China and Thailand as part of its supply chain. Mexico has made gains under NAFTA it does not want to lose with large imports of cheap Chinese auto parts. The U.S. auto industry is somewhere in the middle and the UAW trade union wants to preserve American jobs. The different interests of Canada, Mexico, Japan and the U.S. make it harger to negotiate aspects of the ATT related to the auto industry. The auto industry in the U.S. is not a significant beneficiary from passing of the TPP.
Grouped Articles
Auto-Parts Dispute Taps the Brakes on Pacific Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal 09/04/2015
McConnell warns that trade deal can’t pass Congress before 2016 elections - The Washington Post
Washington Post 12/11/2015
Ford to More Than Double Mexico Production Capacity in 2018
Wall Street Journal 02/08/2016
After Michigan Loss, Hillary Clinton Sharpens Message on Jobs and Trade
New York Times 03/09/2016
Donald Trump Lays Out Protectionist Views in Trade Speech
WSJ 06/28/2016
What the New GOP Means for Wall Street
WSJ 07/19/2016
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