Biden promises a better economic relationship with Asia, but he’s specifically avoiding a trade deal

By JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is nurturing economic ties this week with Asia. But he’s not signing any trade deals at a regional summit in San Francisco. This fact — no trade deals — reveals a lot about the status of U.S. politics, the evolving global economy and the Biden administration’s own ambitions. U.S. negotiators say they’re progressing on finalizing agreements with 13 other countries on parts of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The operative word is “framework” as that label allows Biden to bypass Congress in reaching agreements in IPEF.