WASHINGTON, DC: A US Senate panel voted late Wednesday to give President Barack Obama authority to “fast-track” a massive Pacific trade accord, adding a provision opposed by the White House that addresses currency manipulation.

In a marathon debate, the Senate Finance Committee considered dozens of amendments to the so-called trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation, a bipartisan measure that supporters say is crucial to getting the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership -- deemed the largest free-trade agreement ever -- across the finish line.

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