Throughout the 2016 US election cycle, the most influential candidates have taken positions that are firmly opposed to free-trade deals. The non-traditional campaigns of Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump have catalyzed widespread opposition to free-trade agreements, turning the once non-controversial issue into a political third-rail.
"The deals that have caused that unhappiness… [are] actually not free-trade deals," Coates argued.
She explained that President Barack Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade agreements essentially extend government regulatory overreach internationally, creating greater barriers to violate the traditional concept of free-trade.
With US free-trade advocates in retreat in 2016, Coates argued the US Congress should work to "redefine trade" through a more traditional agreement with the United Kingdom.
Cruz, a Republican with libertarian tendencies, has advocated free-trade deals, but expressed skepticism over TTP and TTIP. In April, Cruz called for making a US-British free-trade deal a top priority is Britain leaves the EU, which was in direct opposition to President Obama’s approach to Brexit.
