US Won't Join Trans-Pacific Trade Pact But Will Pursue Specific Tie-Ups

The United States will not join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) now for various reasons, but it is pursuing other partnerships with its allies in specific areas such as supply chains.

- Grace Ho

The United States will not join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) now for various reasons, but it is pursuing other partnerships with its allies in specific areas such as supply chains.

Such partnerships are less constrained than a traditional free trade agreement, and the US remains very serious about engaging economically with the Indo-Pacific region, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum yesterday.

Ms Raimondo, who began her visit to Asia on Monday with a series of meetings with the Japanese government and business leaders, said US President Joe Biden was “crystal clear” when he said America is back. He meant it is back with the US’ allies and back in this region, she added.

“And when we talk about topics, it is broader in some ways... for example, working together to make sure that we and our allies in this region have redundant and secure supply chains. We can talk specifically and somewhat more flexibly about partnerships,” she said.