President Obama said Tuesday in Laos that failing to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal this year would undermine the United States’ influence in the region.
“I have said before and I will say again: Failure to move ahead with TPP would not just have economic consequences, but would call into question America’s leadership in this vital region,” Obama said during remarks in Laos after the G20 Summit ended in China over the weekend.
In the waning days of his presidency and legislative months of Congress this year, Obama said he would continue to press lawmakers to approve the trade deal. But few expect TPP to pass, and Obama acknowledged the uphill climb he has.
“So as difficult as the politics are back home, I will continue to push hard on the U.S. Congress to approve TPP before I leave office, because I think it is important for the entire region and it is important for the United States,” he said.
Obama has repeatedly warned of China’s growing influence in the Pacific Rim region and that failing to set trade, environmental and labor restrictions in the TPP would allow Beijing to fill that vacuum with lower standards.
The TPP is a massive trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries, which Obama has made a key part of his “pivot” to Asia.
