President-elect Joe Biden on Monday said the United States need to join forces with other world democracies to provide a united front in worldwide trade policy as a counterweight to China.
” The concept that we ' re poking our fingers in the eyes of our good friends and embracing autocrats makes no sense to me,” Biden said in a press conference to discuss his economic strategy.
He promised to release details of his trade policy agenda on Jan. 21– the day after he takes office.
Outgoing United States President Donald Trump utilized an aggressive trade policy versus pal and foe alike, enforcing tariffs on steel, aluminum and other items from Canada, Mexico and the European Union, in addition to China.
” We require to be lined up with the other democracies … so that we can set the rules of the roadway rather of having China and others dictate results because they are the only game in the area,” Biden said.
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The Trump administration eschewed multilateral companies, and hamstrung the World Trade Organization over claims it was unjust to the United States, immobilizing the dispute settlement body and blocking the naming of a brand-new director general.
Trump ' s rhetoric was typically more friendly towards Russia and North Korea, a pariah country whose president however won 2 conferences with the United States president.
Biden said he has spoken with some world leaders in general terms about trade concerns, however decreased to get into specifics with them on what he may do– including whether he would join a brand-new Asia-Pacific open market pact– because “there is just one president at a time.”
However, he said he will not pursue “punitive” trade policy, however rather aim to make American employees more competitive, and ensure labor and environmental leaders “are at the table in any trade offers we make.”
Biden likewise repeated his pledge to rejoin the World Health Company and the Paris environment accord, which Trump walked away from.
