Trump to sign executive order to withdraw US from TPP trade deal

US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, CNN has reported.

During his election campaign, Trump had pledged to withdraw the US from the trade deal with 11 Pacific Rim countries, commonly known as TPP, which he argued was harmful to American workers and manufacturing.

Former President Barack Obama was a strong advocate for TPP, but it was never formally ratified in Congress.

CNN cited a senior White House official as saying that the executive order will be the first Trump will issue on Monday and will amount o his administration’s first major action on foreign policy.

Trump will meet with union leaders and blue-collar workers several hours after signing the executive order, and hold separate meetings with business leaders.

Trump is also expected to sign a separate executive order stating his intention to renegotiate the free trade deal between the US, Canada and Mexico, NBC News reported.

On Sunday, he confirmed that he’s setting up meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

“We’re going to start some negotiations having to do with Nafta,” he said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement that was enacted in 1994 to eliminate most trade tariffs between the three countries.

Trump also said that he will discuss immigration and security at the US border with Mexico. He has repeatedly pledged to build a wall along the border and that Mexico will pay for it.