U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (Photo: Andrew Beckett)
President Donald Trump is apparently changing his mind again, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump tweeted this week that TPP has “too many contingencies and no way to get out if it doesn’t work.” Trump made U.S. exit from the trade pact one of the first items on his to-do list after taking office, but last week, lawmakers who attended a White House meeting on trade reported he was reconsidering.
Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is a supporter of TPP, and U.S. participation. “We don’t want to be on the outside looking in, as other countries engage in freer and fairer and more reciprocal trade,” the Republican said in an interview with WRDN.
The president tweeted that “bilateral deals are far more efficient, profitable and better for OUR workers.” Johnson thinks multilateral trade is better. “TPP represents about 13 and-a-half percent of the world’s economy without the U.S. With the U.S. it represents about 40 percent,” Johnson said. “It should be really ‘win-win,’ and that’s what trade does, if its done properly.
Johnson said Wisconsin manufacturing and agriculture would benefit from TPP, which Trump withdrew the U.S. from last year.