The new man in charge in the United States made good on one of his campaign promises Monday, formally withdrawing his country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade deal, and signaling his intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement "at the appropriate time."
Calling the move "great news for American workers," President Donald Trump signed an executive order pulling the U.S. out of TPP, a pan-oceanic trade pact signed by his predecessor but never ratified.
The 12-nation trade deal had been a target of his wrath on the campaign trail. "We are going to stop the ridiculous trade deals that have taken everybody out of our country and taking companies out of our country," Trump said after signing the order.
Prominent Republican — and frequent Trump critic — Senator John McCain of Arizona was quick to criticize the decision, releasing a statement calling it a "serious mistake."
On the other side of the political aisle, Vermont Senator and erstwhile presidential candidate Bernie Sanders cautiously welcomed the move.
Reports Monday suggested the Trump administration would also sign an order to formally attempt to renegotiate NAFTA. While that didn't come to pass, Trump told reporters that discussions on the future of the deal with Canada and Mexico would begin "at the appropriate time."
