US, Pacific Rim nations at odds over trade pact

New US trade representative Robert Lighthizer said there was no way back

Japan and other members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed on Sunday to pursue their trade deal without the United States, as the Trump administration’s “America First” policy created tension at a meeting of Asia-Pacific countries.

Turmoil over global trade negotiations was laid bare at a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which failed to agree on its usual joint statement after US opposition to wording on free trade and fighting protectionism.

The meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, was the biggest global trade gathering since US President Donald Trump upended the old order, arguing that multilateral free-trade agreements were