The Trans-Pacific Partnership

Abstract

On 23 January 2017, just in his first week in office, Donald Trump – 45th President of the United States of America – withdrew the US as a signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). That decision not only marked the end of the US’s engagement with the TPP, but also plunged the TPP into great uncertainty. The US was the largest economy in the TPP. Its withdrawal meant the TPP could no longer become operational as it required at least six signatory members with a combined share of 85 per cent of the TPP’s total GDP, ratifying the deal individually. With the US pulling out, the condition couldn’t be fulfilled. The remaining TPP members, however, decided to go forward with the deal with some amendments. The deal, subsequently christened the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) came into force from 30 December 2018, without the US. This case study explores the reasons behind the US’s disengagement from the TPP – a deal that was fully backed by the US government, and yet, had to be dispensed with due to fiercely anti-trade domestic politics.