TPP Prospects 'Unclear' Following Election, USTR Official Says

MIAMI -- Prospects for U.S. implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership are “unclear” following the election of Donald Trump as the next president, said Sushan Demirjian, assistant deputy trade representative for market access and industrial competitiveness at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, at the Florida Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Conference of the Americas on Nov. 14. Despite much “speculation,” nobody can say for sure what will happen to the agreement, said Demirjian, who helped negotiate the deal. It now seems like implementation legislation will not be taken up before Trump takes office, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicating Congress won’t consider it during the lame-duck session (see 1611100009). Still to be determined in the transition of presidential administrations, however, are the heads of key economic agencies and the position of congressional leadership, she said. Until that becomes clear, “it’s really difficult to predict anything,” Demirjian said. One early indication of TPP’s prospects will be the USTR’s annual trade report and trade policy agenda, coming in March, which will indicate what the new administration is looking to do in the short term, she said.