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German Chancellor Angela Merkel with President Trump at the White House in April. (Michael Reynolds / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock).
The Trump administration officially launched trade talks on Tuesday with the European Union, Britain and Japan, while the president plans to expand its "America First" trade policy.
US Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer sent three letters to Congress on Tuesday, informing lawmakers that Trump and his team would negotiate trade deals with these governments. This decision was widely expected – Trump has been discussing for months trading with US, British and Japanese leaders. But giving an opinion to the Congress marks the intention to conclude broad free trade agreements with these countries and a commitment to pursue agreements all over the world, even as Trump intensifies its fight against China.
The goal is to "remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to achieve fairer and more balanced trade," Lighthizer said in the letter.
Trump says his trading partners have benefited from the United States and that tough tactics, including tariffs, will bring other countries to the negotiating table. He was encouraged to continue his program and commercial tactics after finalizing a trade deal with Canada and Mexico last month.
If Trump reaches an agreement with Japan, it will be the first free trade agreement between the world's first and third economies. Under President Barack Obama, Japan and the United States attempted to finalize the TPP trade deal with several countries, but Trump attracted the United States. out of the PTP in his first week in office. Japan has agreed to begin negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with the United States by the end of September.
Obama has also attempted to conclude a major trade deal with the United States. before leaving office, but both parties were unable to complete it. US trade with the United States supports 2.6 million US jobs, according to the Commerce Department.
Trump has imposed tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from the European Union, Britain and Japan and has threatened to impose customs on car imports. Germany and Japan are major players in the US automotive market.
Trump says he uses tariffs to leverage trade negotiations, but the countries concerned see it as an affront to their long-standing friendship with the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron went so far as to say that Europe would not negotiate "with a rifle in the head."
Trade Secretary Wilbur Ross met this week with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, as both sides were trying to advance trade negotiations.
The Constitution gives Congress control over trade, but lawmakers generally delegate negotiation of the details of a trade agreement to the president and his principal officials. Any agreement would ultimately need congressional approval. Leading Republican lawmakers, who generally supported free trade and expressed frustration over Trump's tariffs, praised the latter.
"Ambitious and ambitious new trade agreements with each of these economies would increase our ability to sell" Made in America "products around the world and strengthen our partnership with these key trading partners and key allies," said the Commission representative. , Kevin Brady. R-Tex.), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said in a statement.
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