White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Monday (Feb. 8) said that although the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a priority for the Obama administration, he does not envision the deal wrapping up while President Obama is in office.
[Daily News| February, 09 2016 | Inside US Trade]
“I do not believe that we’re going to reach a TTIP agreement before the president leaves office, but he’s certainly interested in moving those negotiations forward and in a direction where we can be confident that the economy of the United States will be enhanced through the completion of an agreement hopefully under the leadership of the next U.S. Ppesident,” Earnest said at the daily press briefing.
This is the first time an administration official has publicly said that concluding the TTIP before Obama leaves office is unlikely, although officials have acknowledged that it would be difficult to do so.
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