US agriculture has become too dependent on China and needs to diversify and build demand with many different markets. The TPP is seen as opening new markets for US farmers. The American feeling is re-entering the TPP would be good for agriculture and that the Japanese market, in particular, would make up some of the losses the US is having with China.

The TPP trade deal would have given US farmers lower tariffs and great market access to all the nations in Asia and the South Pacific, but strong opposition by labor unions forced the US to abandon the deal. Now tariffs against China are causing major problems for US agriculture and hence the rethink. The US intends to renegotiate the trade pact and sign revised free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and Canada.

TPP was proposed in 2010. As a multilateral trade framework outside the World Trade Organization, the TPP intends to further reduce tariff barriers and enhance unified market rules including intellectual property protection. The US is likely to sign trade pacts with other trading partners, including Japan, South Korea, and Canada. In this way, the US hopes to force China to make more concessions in lowering tariffs, reducing subsidies, opening up markets, and enhancing intellectual property rights protection.