Let's Assume the TPP Fails

[ag]

Yep. Looks like it will be the Chinese century. US has just given it all up.

[ag]

Are the other TPP countries going to bother with pushing for it now, and forming like, a Japan led bloc?

Doubt so. Even if they do, any call by China will supercede it.

[ag]

You forget one thing: until and unless the potential partners are convinced that Trump is forever, they have no reason to negotiate seriously. Even under the best conditions trade negotiations take years from start to finish: four years is not long at all. So, why rush? What is it that you are going to get from Trump that you are not going to get from his successors? The only reason anybody is going to seriously negotiate is if they are counting on the incompetence of the current US trade team - then, perhaps, negotiations would make sense now. But, with the sad exception of the rump UK, nobody will be interested in any deals Trump would be willing to make.

China, on the other hand, is in a sweet position to deal.

[ag]

NAFTA - Reagan's brainchild - took 12 years to negotiate from Ronald Reagan's announcement in 1979 to ratification in 1993.

So yeah, trade deals take a long time to ratify.

And don't even talk of all the years it took the WTO to come into existence Does anybody here still remember the word GATT?

[ag]

How in the world did ag become an unignorable moderator?

You have any objections to my moderatorial decisions on this board? If yes, please let me know: I would certainly take that seriously.

I guess, I was asked to moderate this board originally because I know a little bit about economics.

[ag]

How in the world did ag become an unignorable moderator?

You have any objections to my moderatorial decisions on this board? If yes, please let me know: I would certainly take that seriously.

I guess, I was asked to moderate this board originally because I know a little bit about economics.

Eharding and ag -please don't derail this thread.  

I have no intention to. I think I have provided a few substantive contributions here, have I not? And, I believe, I have been quite corteous in my response.