New US Trade Representative vows to promote equitable growth
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New US Trade Representative Katherine Tai won confirmation by the US Senate in a rare unanimous vote.
WASHINGTON • New US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai has vowed to leverage trade to help the United States economy recover from the coronavirus crisis by focusing on policies promoting more equitable growth and benefiting American workers.
Ms Tai, the first woman of colour to lead the agency, was sworn in on Thursday after winning confirmation by the US Senate in a rare unanimous vote.
Ms Tai told USTR staff in a letter on Friday that current times required new approaches and "thinking outside the box", embracing a more diverse team, and talking to communities that have been long ignored.
"Working together with our colleagues across the administration, we will challenge the preconceived notions about what trade policy should look like," Ms Tai told her staff in a letter.
"Through unprecedented engagement, we will pursue policies that advance the interests of all Americans, support American innovation and promote broad, equitable growth by giving workers a seat at the table."
The former top trade lawyer on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Ms Tai previously served as the China enforcement chief for USTR and knows the agency well.
In her letter, she mapped out key priorities, including enforcing the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that went into effect last year, rebuilding alliances, tackling climate change, ending the Covid-19 pandemic, advancing racial and gender equity, and addressing the challenges posed by China.
REUTERS