Everything you need to know about the largest trading bloc in the world

This appeared in The Millennial Source

The 15 countries forming the new “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership” (RCEP) represent the world’s largest free-trade bloc and a sign that American influence in the Asia-Pacific region has largely slipped away in the era of “America First.”

15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region recently signed the world’s biggest regional trade deal, which supporters say will spur on increased trade among the signatories and hasten the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Why is this such a big deal? Because the United States isn’t involved.

Having pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by executive order in 2017, President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to fulfill that now-familiar campaign pledge of “ America First.”

Trump, both in his 2016 campaign and during his presidency, had pledged to renegotiate “unfair trade deals” that he believed were “killing” the US.

But though the US has turned away from or otherwise disputed a number of international trade deals, the world has not paused to wait.

The 15 countries forming the new “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership” (RCEP) represent the world’s largest…