Michael Froman
The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Michael Froman is a seasoned diplomat and trade expert who has navigated complex international negotiations. This interview highlights his focus on collaboration and understanding diverse perspectives to achieve effective trade agreements and strengthen global economic ties.
“I've heard that. I've heard that. Look, I think part of it, I'm not sure there's a full understanding of exactly how TPP worked. Half the countries in TPP, we already had free trade agreements with. So we didn't give them anything. They didn't get any more market access to the United States.”
“Protection of intellectual property rights or disciplines on government owned corporations or anything having to do with a free and open Internet, those are the things that were in TPP that made sure that the rules of the road for the region reflected our interests and our values.”
“Well, you know, I had planned to be a lawyer or to go to law school anyway. I wasn't sure I'd ever practiced, but thought I would go to law school. I think it was convinced, and I think in retrospect I was right that learning a coherent way of thinking.”
“Well, even then, I mean, you've seen the decline in the percentage of manufacturing workers, for example, in the United States for sixty years, long before there was any trade agreement. And this is before the WTO existed, before China joined the WTO, before NAFTA was fully implemented.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 130 - Michael Froman
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