Tai Unanimously Confirmed as USTR
House Ways and Means Committee chief trade counsel Katherine Tai was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. trade representative on March 17, by a 98-0 vote. Politicians from both parties, trade skeptics and export-focused trade associations all hailed her promotion to the Biden administration Cabinet. She is the first woman of color to be USTR.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., just before the vote, said, “As U.S. Trade Representative, Ms. Tai will play a crucial role in enforcing existing trade deals and making sure that American workers, businesses and researchers can compete on a level playing field. She will be an essential player in restoring America’s credibility with our trading partners and promoting international cooperation to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, from the global pandemic to climate change.”
Her boss, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., issued a statement that said, “Guided by her expertise and years of experience, she will skillfully represent our country’s interests with confidence and wisdom, ushering in a new era of trade. With Katherine at the helm, U.S. trade policy will be a means through which we can support American workers and businesses, while also leading on human rights and environmental protections.”
Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who worked closely with Tai as changes to the new NAFTA were negotiated in the House, said, “We’ve got a lot of damage to repair from Trump, but Trade Representative Tai is going to help us do it.”
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on Ways and Means, said she had impeccable credentials. “I look forward to working with her to prioritize finalizing agreements already underway, implement USMCA, take our trade agreement with China to the next level, and work with us to take care of unfinished business by renewing GSP and MTB as soon as possible.”
European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted his congratulations and said, “The EU is ready to engage immediately & constructively to reboot the transatlantic trade agenda. We want to quickly resolve our trade disputes, building on our recent Airbus-Boeing breakthrough.”
The head of the International Dairy Foods Association issued a statement that said the organization hopes Tai will work to reauthorize Trade Promotion Authority before it expires mid-year “to ensure a strong negotiating position for the United States. The future success and viability of U.S. dairy businesses and the 3 million American jobs and over $6 billion in U.S. exports they support relies on the health of global market opportunities.”
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka tweeted, “Ambassador Katherine Tai's historic confirmation is another win for working people. The beginning of her tenure as @USTradeRep signals a stark departure from the decades of failed, corporate-centered trade deals that have decimated countless Americans' livelihoods.”
The American Iron and Steel Institute issued a statement that said it is grateful she's committed to using “all of the tools available to conduct aggressive trade enforcement.”
Leading trade skeptic Lori Wallach, head of Global Trade Watch, said, “Katherine Tai is the ideal USTR at this critical time because she’s committed to ensuring our trade policies promote, not undermine, our core values and goals for good jobs, a livable planet, affordable medicines, safe food and more and has the encyclopedic trade knowledge -- from China to NAFTA to WTO and beyond -- combined with strategic acumen, political skills and a steely spine that will allow her to translate her vision into action.” She said she expects Tai to succeed in charting a new course in China trade.