The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee says the United States should complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement without Japan or Canada if those nations are unwilling to reduce their trade barriers, said Agri-Pulse. Chairman Paul Ryan made the remarks at a trade association meeting. Ryan pointed at U.S. proposals for market access and said, “And if any of the 12 countries currently in the talks think our standards are too high, well, I’d complete the agreement without them and invite them to join it later.”
U.S. trade officials have said they hope to conclude talks shortly, and Japanese news media have reported that the Japanese government is considering concessions on tariffs. Two dairy groups, the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, applauded Ryan’s remarks, according to Agri-Pulse. The Ways and Means Committee has the lead role in the House on trade agreements.
Text of Ryan’s speech is available here.