This is a big moment for trade politics in the world’s largest democracies. The events of the next few days could well determine whether the United States and the European Union find a new way to lead the international trade agenda, or instead turn inward in the face of growing distrust from their own populations. While critics of pending trade agreements have valid concerns, walking away from the table would only encourage the worst outcomes they fear.
The European Parliament is set to vote on June 10 on negotiating objectives for free-trade talks with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP (pronounced “tea-tip.”) And some time later this week, the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to hold a binding vote on whether to give President Barack Obama the authority to complete those negotiations and a separate trade agreement with 11 Asia-Pacific countries.
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