The Senate overwhelmingly voted to confirm Katherine Tai as President Joe Biden’s U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Tai served for several years as the China enforcement lawyer at the Office of the USTR and most recently as chief trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, where she handled negotiations on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
During confirmation hearings, Tai pledged to maintain a tough stance against China but ducked questions regarding tariffs on imported steel and aluminum or any trade deals. According to the Wall Street Journal, Tai said the administration’s trade policy would be “worker-centered” and designed to protect American jobs, not just to lower prices of imported goods for consumers.
