Obama defends trans-Pacific deal against strong anti-trade tide

WASHINGTON — Battling a powerful anti-trade tide, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday to continue pressing for his historic trans-Pacific trade deal over opposition from both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, saying the agreement is essential for the United States to thrive in a global economy.

"Right now, I'm president, and I'm for it," Obama said of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, when asked by a reporter about opposition from both of the candidates who want to succeed him. "I think I've got the better argument."

Obama made his comments Tuesday during a news conference with Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, in the East Room of the White House. The trade accord, the largest regional trade deal in history, would rope together nations from Canada and Chile on one side of the Pacific Ocean to Japan, Singapore and Australia on the other, creating a web of new rules on trade, labor, environmental conservation and intellectual property rights. Supporters call the agreement progressive and groundbreaking, but it has languished since trade negotiators reached final agreement in October.

Obama and Lee said ratification would help the economies of both nations.

"Apart from the economic benefits — trade, market access, standard setting — it's also vital from a strategic point of view, and a strong signal of the U.S. commitment to continue its deep engagement in the region," Lee said.

The trade deal is a linchpin for Obama's foreign policy "pivot" toward Asia, but there is deep skepticism about the agreement in many quarters, including labor unions and progressive groups that are a central piece of the president's political coalition.

Clinton, who had praised the deal as "the gold standard" while it was being negotiated during her tenure as secretary of state, came out against the final trade agreement as she battled for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Bernie Sanders, a fierce opponent of the TPP.

And Trump has tapped into anger about trade deals among blue-collar, conservative voters who believe past agreements are responsible for sending manufacturing and other jobs overseas.

Referencing the opposition from Clinton, Sanders, labor unions and other Democrats, Obama said Tuesday that he has "some very close friends, people who I admire a lot, but I just disagree with them. That's OK."

He said he respected their positions, but insisted that they were wrong on the merits of the deal.

Obama said the agreement negotiated by the 12 nations eliminated 18,000 tariffs that would help lower costs for American businesses and workers. He said the TPP strengthened labor standards that were left weak and unenforceable in prior trade deals.

"What we're doing is we're raising standards for workers in those countries, which means it's harder for them to undercut labor standards here in the United States," the president said.

And on environmental standards and other issues, Obama insisted that the agreement he had helped shape would be better for the world, citing as examples the abuse of workers, child labor, wildlife trafficking, overfishing and the decimation of forests.

Most environmental groups have come out strongly against the accord, and union leaders say the deal's labor provisions are too weak to counter anti-union policies in member nations, especially Vietnam and Mexico.

Obama insisted the accord still has a chance, and noted that many people in Washington had doubted that supporters of the trade deal could pass expanded trade-negotiating powers, known as Trade Promotion Authority, which allowed speedier approval of the agreement.

"Somehow, we muddled through and got it done," he said of the "fast-track" trade negotiating law.

And with Lee standing next to him, Obama refused to concede that the upcoming election spelled doom for the trade agreement. He vowed to keep fighting to convince the doubters, even after the election in November.

"I think I've got the better argument and I've got the evidence to support it," Obama said. "And hopefully, after the election is over and the dust settled, there will be more attention to the actual facts behind the deal and it won't just be a political symbol or a political football."