New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay is mobbed by reporters at the end of the meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership member countries - except for the United States - in Hanoi on Sunday. (EPA photo)HANOI - Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed on Sunday to look at ways to move the trade deal forward without the United States after President Donald Trump pulled out in favour of an "America First" policy. Japan has been at the forefront of efforts to get the remaining 11 TPP countries to pursue the agreement, which members have also long seen as a way to contain an increasingly dominant China. Officials from TPP countries will meet again in Japan in July and bring proposals in November, Mr McClay said. New US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has held one-on-one meetings with key partners, reflecting Mr Trump's emphasis on bilateral trade deals that he argues will give America a better deal.

Source: Bangkok Post May 21, 2017 06:45 UTC