WASHINGTON—Hillary Clinton has scrambled the political picture for the Trans-Pacific Partnership by coming out Wednesday, Oct. 7, against ratification of a trade initiative she enthusiastically participated in.
The sudden opposition from the prominent presidential candidate indicates the long, hard road ahead for ratification of the 12-country agreement that includes Canada.
It illustrates that even if the deal passes in Canada’s Parliament after the election, it still faces an intense months-long debate in the U.S. that will play out against the backdrop of a presidential campaign and could ultimately be torpedoed.
When she was secretary of state, Clinton helped launch the TPP process. Now, as a presidential candidate, she says she’s learned a bit about the deal and doesn’t like what she sees.
“Based on what I know so far, I can’t support this agreement,” Clinton said in a statement, two days after the agreement to create the world’s largest trading bloc.
“I appreciate the hard work that President Obama and his team put into this process and recognize the strides they made. But the bar here is very high and, based on what I have seen, I don’t believe this agreement has met it.”
She said trade deals must create good American jobs, raise wages, and advance national security.
