ANKARA
U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a bill that will allow him to "fast-track" trade agreements, namely the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement currently in negotiations.
The law permits the president to present negotiated trade deals to Congress for a simple yes or no vote, i.e. without amendements added.
Obama warned, in a televised speech after the signing, that the battle to make the trade agreement a reality had not been won.
"We still have some tough negotiations that are going to be taking place," Obama said. "The debate will not end with this bill signing."
Obama pointed out that lawmakers and the public will be able to react to the agreement when it becomes public.
TPP is an ambitious free-trade agreement made by the U.S., Canada, and 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It has been under negotiation for nearly a decade.
It is expected to eliminate tariffs on goods and services, to remove a large number of non-tariff trade barriers, and to harmonize regulations among the 12 nations when negotiations end early next year.
