Donald Trump has promised to pull the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on his very first day in office.
The TPP was signed by 12 countries which together cover 40% of the world’s economy.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who attended a gathering for TPP leaders in Lima on Monday (Nov.21) said, “the TPP would be meaningless without the involvement of the US”.
President-elect Trump made the announcement to quit the trade deal in a video in which he also listed several policy pledges he intends to carry out immediately after his inauguration on January 20.
He made no mention of his campaign promises to repeal Obamacare or build a wall on the US-Mexican border.
“On trade, I am going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country. Instead we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals, that will bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.”
“On energy – I will cancel job killing restrictions on the production of American energy, including shale energy and clean coal, creating many millions of high-paying jobs.”
“On immigration, I will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker.”
Trump is still in the process of pulling a team together. Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown was the latest called in for talks. He’s said to be in line for Veterans Affairs Secretary.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, is being considered to head the US Interior Department.
In the video Trump said he was appointing ‘Patriots’ to his administration although he’s likely to break for the US holiday of Thanksgiving on Thursday.
Donald Trump mentioned other executive actions he would make on day one – ordering a plan to combat cyber-attacks, cutting regulations on businesses and imposing a five-year ban on people leaving government to become lobbyists.
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