His hesitation has been understandable: powerful lobbies on one side have insisted that fast-track deals must be Christmas-treed with onerous labour and environmental provisions, while free-market Republicans vowed to kill any fast-track so adorned.
Earlier this year, Jandira Barone, owner of denim company Tristar, made headlines when she suggested a water-free denim cleanse throwing jeans into the freezer to kill germs.