Trump's threats on trade may be inimical to US, global interests

London

LIKE many of President-elect Donald Trump's statements, the one he made about withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal on his first day in office is unclear in its meaning.

It may be a ploy to shock America's partners out of their perceived complacency and strengthen his hand ahead of a renegotiation of the terms of the TPP, to make it more beneficial to US manufacturers. However, he may be serious in his stated aim of replacing this mega-regional deal with a series of bilateral ones.