WC Wisconsin News

The country may be seeing the effects of the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), as Rep. Ron Kind voices concern over the 2017 decision, calling on the country to offer solutions that hold China accountable for unfair trade practices.

Kind tweeted, sharing a video naming the U.S. withdrawal from the TPP trade agreement one the of “greatest strategic mistakes” the country has made in the 21st century and stating a plan to strengthen any trade remedies and enforcement tools available.

“When it comes to holding China accountable for unfair trade practices that harm Wisconsin workers, farmers and families, we need to bring our allies to the table and work in a bipartisan manner to find sustainable solutions,” Kind wrote in his tweet. 

Among other issues, the Poultry Site reports the U.S. withdrawal from the TPP may have caused the animal protein sector to miss out on export opportunities.

According to an Oct. 27 report by Foreign Policy, issues in China have contributed to the ongoing global supply chain disruptions. This is evident as China shut down the third busiest port in the world — the Port of Ningbo — in August following just one case of COVID-19 and Chinese manufacturers have continuously failed to meet the growing demand for shipping containers. 

As China becomes more assertive, U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai recently visited Japan, where the foreign minister asked her to guide the U.S. into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which replaced the TPP, Financial Times reports. At that time, Tai said the U.S. has been working toward solutions to strengthen relationships with partners without having to join the CPTPP, though she was unable to reach an agreement with Japan on a new bilateral trade partnership, the report states.