[CTC] Froman – Increasingly Optimistic

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Washington Trade Daily
Volume 25, Number 131 Friday, July 1, 2016
Trade Reports International Group
Froman – Increasingly Optimistic
An optimistic sounding US Trade Representative Michael Froman said yesterday he is finding a
“very receptive audience” on Capitol Hill to the TransPacific Partnership agreement, even though the
trade pact is opposed by both political party’s Presidential candidates (WTD, 6/30/16).
Mr. Froman said he is feeling “very confident” he will have the vote to pass TPP whenever
Congressional leaders are ready to move forward. That is expected to be in the post-election “lame
duck” session, he said.
Speaking at a program sponsored by the Cato Institute, Mr. Froman said he is finding in his
discussions with members that they are “fundamentally making their decisions” based on their
understanding that the trade deal will benefit their constituents.
Trade votes are always difficult. And this one will take place in a particularly politically charged
environment. But Mr. Froman said that lawmakers are “increasingly appreciating the benefits of the
agreement and the costs of delay.”
Best Time for a Vote
The Administration is continuing to work with Congressional leaders to determine the best time
for a vote. In the meantime, the White House is trying to resolve outstanding issues raised by members –
with the data protection period for biologics being the biggest, he said.
The public anxiety about trade is understandable, but turning inward would be “economically
devastating,” the USTR warned. “History has proven beyond a doubt that protectionism doesn’t work.”
On the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Mr. Froman said the Administration’s
goal remains to “do everything we can to reach an agreement this year” (WTD, 6/30/16). The two
sides are meeting “constantly” – he met earlier in the week with European Trade Commissioner Cecilia
Malmström – and are making “good, accelerated progress.”
With Britain’s recent decision to pull out of the European Union, Brussels has a lot on its plate,
but the Administration remains hopeful European leaders will have the necessary focus and political will
to complete the agreement, Mr. Froman suggested.
 
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