Biden admin delays Asian trade announcement after Democratic ire |
The U.S. is putting off a trade agreement with Asian countries amid domestic pressure from members of President Biden’s party who have raised concerns about worker protections. Speaking to reporters Monday evening following meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen conceded that the trade portion of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework would not be finished this week as leaders gather in San Francisco, saying only that it is likely to “require further work.” It’s a blow to the Biden administration, which has pursued the pact to forge closer economic ties with Asian allies in part to help counter China’s influence in the region. Biden encountered pressure over the deal from Democrats like Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who called on the administration to remove the trade portion entirely from the framework due to a lack of enforceable labor standards. Democrats fear that former President Trump could assail the pact in the same way he did the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Washington Post reported, as he courts the union vote. Biden administration officials have signaled there will be progress on other pillars of the framework, which also cover supply chains and clean energy and technology. — Morgan Chalfant |