If you’ve been following the presidential race in recent weeks, you have undoubtedly heard the Republican and Democratic nominees express their objections to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, an international trade deal among the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan and eight other countries in the Pacific Rim.
Republicans have argued that the trade deal was poorly negotiated and fails to prevent countries from manipulating their currencies and harming U.S. exporters. Democrats have argued that the agreement would send U.S. jobs overseas and lacks strong, enforceable international labor and environmental protections.
While it is naive to think that international trade deals will please everyone, there are indisputable bright spots in the agreement that both political parties should weigh as part of their analysis of TPP.
