US efforts to conclude trade deals with the European Union and 12 Pacific Rim nations suffered a big blow as a result of its government shutdown, with US trade officials cancelling next week's round of talks in Brussels and Barack Obama scrapping a trip to meet Asian leaders. Mike Froman, US trade representative, called Karel De Gucht, EU trade commissioner, on Friday to tell him that the shutdown would "Prevent" his office from "Proceeding" with the second round of talks. The cancellation of the second round of EU trade talks came after Mr Obama decided to stay at home rather than attend a summit with Asian leaders in Indonesia - which was seen as a rare chance to give talks on a Trans-Pacific Partnership a decisive push. The TPP is one of the main pillars of the Obama administration's ambitious second-term trade agenda and is central to its plans for boosting America's presence in Asia.
Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/70b2ab3a-2ca4-11e3-8b20-00144feab7de.html?ftcamp=published_links%252Frss%252Fworld_us_economy%252Ffeed%252F%252Fproduct
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