I haven't seen the presidential memo yet, but Inside US Trade reports:
President Trump on Jan. 23 signed a presidential memo formally withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, assuring the Obama administration's flagship trade agreement will not come into force as negotiated and prompting TPP opponents to clamor for a larger reorientation of trade policy.
I still wonder if this is just a negotiating tactic, with the Trump folks hoping to get better offers from the other TPP parties. But maybe a TPP with the US as part of it is out of the question in a Trump administration.
In addition, here's a report on another recent executive action:
The US plant health authority has halted plans to lift its ban on Argentine lemons following direct intervention from the White House.
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published its final rule on 20 December, paving the way for a resumption of imports of fresh lemons from northwest Argentina following a 16-year ban.
However, on 22 January APHIS announced that it had issued a stay for 60 days on its final rule “in accordance with guidance from the White House issued on 20 January, 2017, the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The move comes amid widespread opposition from Californian growers who claim the economic impact of lifting the ban and potential risk of infection from pests and disease show a “callous disregard” for domestic farmers.
Much of the talk about Trump's trade policy has focused on tariffs, but there are a wide range of regulatory actions that the administration could take to keep imports out. The final decision on Argentine lemon imports could be a good indicator of how they might approach this.
