President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday which formally ends U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The controversial trade deal was already going nowhere in Congress, but Trump’s action was a follow-though to his stated opposition to the TPP during the campaign.
The president did not directly address the North American Free Trade Agreement – NAFTA – but Wisconsin Democrats in Congress are hoping he will.
“I have long opposed NAFTA, an unfair trade deal that has hurt Wisconsin’s manufacturing economy and led to job loss,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Withdrawing from TPP and moving to renegotiate NAFTA are good first steps from President Trump, but to keep his word to Wisconsin workers, it will take supporting Buy America reforms, cracking down on countries like China when they cheat our workers, and backing policies that keep jobs here at home instead of encouraging outsourcing.”
Renegotiating NAFTA – the 22-year-old deal with Mexico and Canada – is something that senior advisers have called a top priority for the Trump administration.
“I will continue to hold the Administration accountable to ensure that our trade deals benefit working families not big corporations,” said 2nd District Representative Mark Pocan. “It’s time we give up the failed trade policies of the past and adopt a new 21st century trade framework to grow American jobs and protect U.S. consumers.”