NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: (HRNW) President-elect Joe Biden has selected Katherine Tai, the chief trade lawyer for the House Ways and Means Committee, to serve as US trade representative, four sources familiar with the decision said on Wednesday.
Tai, 45, who won the backing of congressional Democrats, labor and business circles in recent weeks, played a key role in negotiating stronger labor provisions with the Trump administration in the new US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal.
If confirmed as Biden’s “trade czar,” Tai will play a pivotal role in helping to rebuild ties with key allies, re-energize manufacturing at home and punish Beijing for anti-competitive trade practices.
She would be the first woman of color to hold the job.
Her name surfaced as the leading contender for the job earlier this month, as reported by Reuters.
Biden is expected to formally announce Tai as his top trade negotiator later this week, said one of the sources. A spokesman for the Biden transition declined to comment on the news, which was first reported by Politico.
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