Obama must make the case for freer trade

ACCORDING to recent reports, US congressional negotiators have reached a deal on the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation aimed at speeding approval of international trade agreements, including a major trade pact with the Asia-Pacific economies that the Obama administration now hopes to conclude next year.

The TPA legislation, aka "fast-track", would enable the White House to submit negotiated trade agreements to an up-or-down vote without amendments before Congress. The TPA expired in 2007, but it is now crucial to completing the final round of negotiations on a historic trade deal with the 12 partner economi…