HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – The Pacific Rim trade ministers started their two-day meeting in Hanoi Saturday focusing on free trade and regional economic integration amid fears of growing trade protectionism.
U.S Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made his international debut at the gathering of 21 ministers from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
On the sidelines of the meeting, trade ministers from the remaining 11 countries involved in the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact are scheduled to meet Sunday seeking to revive the agreement after the U.S. pulled out.
Alan Bollard, executive director of APEC Secretariat, said the ministers may either change some of the articles and put the pact into force or discuss it further.
“Either TPP ministers will say they want to go ahead with TPP 11 and change the articles so that they can put it into force. That’s not too difficult,” he said. “Or else, they might say they want to discuss it further. It could mean some more complicated renegotiation.”