Trump Declares New World-Trade Order

DA NANG, Vietnam--President Donald Trump delivered a full-throated defense of economic nationalism, telling a Pacific Rim summit on Friday that the U.S. would defend its commercial rights and wouldn't enter into multilateral trade agreements that "tie our hands."

Mr. Trump, addressing business leaders at the 21-country Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, said the U.S. has been treated unfairly by the global trading system and by organizations that underpin its rules, such as the World Trade Organization.

"We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of any more," he said.

"I will make bilateral trade agreements with any Indo-Pacific nation that wants to be our partner and will abide by the principles of fair and reciprocal trade. What we will no longer do is enter into large agreements that will tie our hands, surrender our sovereignty and make meaningful enforcement practically impossible."

The U.S. president's views on trade have pitted the U.S. trade delegation in Da Nang against the 20 other members of the economic summit, echoing previous disagreements with world leaders seen at the Group of Seven countries and Group of 20 developing and industrialized nations.

Write to Jake Maxwell Watts at jake.watts@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 10, 2017 03:08 ET (08:08 GMT)