Why Washington’s Latest Trade Plan for Asia is Probably Dead on Arrival

U.S. President Joe Biden takes part in the ASEAN-US Summit on Oct. 26, 2021. Image via ASEAN Summit 2021.

IPEF is the latest U.S. acronym that we’re going to hear a lot more of as of today. President Joe Biden will tout the new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework during the two-day summit with eight ASEAN leaders that begins on Thursday.

The IPEF is designed to try and circumvent some of the domestic political pitfalls that led to the U.S. exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP,) now one of two continent-wide free trade agreements in Asia that exclude the United States.

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by Eric Olander

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