REVERSING COURSE

Trump Considers Rejoining Trans-Pacific Partnership

He pulled out of the 11-country pact after he took office.

President Donald Trump—who recently threatened to slap China with tariffs—told a room full of Republican governors and legislators that he is considering reentering the Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to Bloomberg. He said that he told the National Economic Council’s Larry Kudlow and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to explore rejoining the multilateral trade agreement. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) told reporters that Trump "reaffirmed the point that TPP might be easier to join now." Trump pulled out of the TPP shortly after taking office, saying he preferred negotiating bilateral deals. In the Thursday meeting, Trump also said that new tariffs between China and the U.S. may never be levied, as the president thinks China is “going to treat us really fairly.” Trump had suggested he was “open to rejoining” the TPP during a February press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.