With economic recovery still sluggish in the United States and Europe still dealing with its economic crisis, the European Union and the United States have jointly decided to launch negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to boost jobs and growth. The case for such an agreement is strong. Although trade barriers are already low, the sheer size of the transatlantic economy —$30 trillion — means that even small improvements can yield significant gains. With half of the world GDP, one-third of world trade flows and 15 million jobs linked to it, the transatlantic economy is still the driver of the world economy. A Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership would thus have global implications and could also deliver much needed progress for global trade.
The Hon. Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
The Hon. Karel De Gucht, Commissioner for Trade, European Commission
The Hon. Michael Froman, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, U.S. National Security Council
Mr. Martin Jaeger, Vice President Global External Affairs, Daimler AG
Moderator: Mr. Bruce Stokes, Director of Global Economic Attitudes, Pew Research Center
