Washington: The “terrible" Paris climate deal would have given a virtual “free pass" to India and China and cost the US economy more than 6.5 million jobs, US vice-president Mike Pence said on Wednesday.

“This President put America first not long ago when President (Donald) Trump made the decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Paris Climate Accord," Pence said in his remarks to the National Association of Manufacturers 2017 Manufacturing Summit.

Trump earlier this month announced the withdrawal of the US from the Paris agreement on climate change, saying the “draconian" deal unfairly punished America and benefited countries like India and China.

Pence defended Trump’s decision and said by withdrawing America from “this terrible deal", President Trump put America first. “You know, one independent study found that the Paris Accord would have actually cost the US economy more than 6.5 million manufacturing jobs in the next 25 years while giving countries like China and India virtually a free pass," Pence said.

“He left the door opening to renegotiating the deal or coming up with a different agreement. But he put America first, and I promise the manufacturers in this room that President Donald Trump always will," Pence said.

He said Trump has put a renewed emphasis on American energy. “He approved the Keystone and Dakota Pipelines early in this administration, and the Dakota Pipeline is already rolling and Keystone is being built as we speak," Pence said. “President Trump is fighting every day to make sure that American manufacturers have affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that you need to power your factories and power our future," Pence said amid applause from the audience. PTI

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