President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Katherine Tai, a House Ways and Means Committee trade attorney, as the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Tai previously served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as chief counsel for China Trade Enforcement. According to Politico, Tai, who is fluent in Mandarin, has the expertise to confront China on issues “like forced labor and intellectual property rights while preserving a functioning trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies.”
Both the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) support the nomination. AFBF President Zippy Duvall cited her experience in enforcing existing trade agreements and called her an “ally fighting on behalf of farmers and ranchers.” NAMI President and CEO Julie Ann Potts issued a press release stating, “Her expertise could be crucial to resolving trade disputes with China and ensuring the country upholds its commitments in the Phase One Agreement. Tai also impressed lawmakers with her handling of negotiations in Congress for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.”
