U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive action to withdraw negotiations on Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. It was a signal to Democrats and leaders around the world that Trump's rhetoric on trade during the campaign is turning into action. Trump had vowed during the campaign to withdraw from TPP, which he argued was harmful to American workers and manufacturing.

The TPP, a pillar of former president Barack Obama's pivot to Asia, sought to unite Japan, the US and 10 other countries in the Pacific basin - such as Mexico, Peru or Chile - in the world's largest free trade zone.

Japanese government spokesman Koichi Hagiuda said on Tuesday said the Trans-Pacific Partnership was "meaningless" without Washington's participation after the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the multilateral trade agreement.

The United States had signed but has not ratified the TPP. The TPP must be ratified by countries that represent at least 85 percent of bloc's gross domestic product (GDP) and US alone accounts for 60 percent of the combined GDP of the 12 signatory states.

The other executive actions signed Monday included reinstating the Mexico City abortion rules and instituting a hiring freeze for federal agencies.