Donald Trump's impending inauguration on January 20th has been preceded by uncertainty, especially about how he will communicate with other countries. One important aspect of U.S.-international relationships is trade agreements.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an agreement aimed at strengthening trade and investment relationships in the Americas and Asia-Pacific region. The countries participating in TPP are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Trump has threatened to end TPP, calling it "a potential disaster for our country" and said that the Trump administration will negotiate individually with countries "fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores."
However, many strong voices in the United States Congress like Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady are in favor of fixing rather than dumping TPP altogether. Even Rex Tillerson, Exxon CEO and emerging figure in the Trump administration, is a fervent supporter, having remarked that TPP opens a unique door for under-resourced nations: "We have learned that open markets and free trade can bring nations the energy supplies they need. But only governments can open the avenues of free trade. In the years ahead, as the economy and energy landscape evolves worldwide, leaders in the United States and Asia will need to examine how their own policies can support international cooperation and energy trade. One of the most promising developments on this front is the ongoing effort for the Trans-Pacific Partnership."
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is twenty-two years old, connecting the three countries in North America: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Trump has claimed he will try to change NAFTA's zero-tariff rate to a 35-percent tariff against automobiles and other products assembled in Mexico in a misguided attempt to halt jobs and U.S. factories going to Mexico. However, trade experts say that raising the tariff won't be possible without heavy negotiations.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto told reporters at a Pacific Rim summit Saturday that he will discuss NAFTA with Trump not to renegotiate provisions currently in existence, but rather to "modernize" the trade agreement by including provisions on the environment and labor unforseen at its start. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has remained relatively neutral to the press, stating that he is "keeping our options open" on discussions with Trump.