Trade Policy will be a Big Topic on Thursday

Trade policy is expected to be front-and-center this week as the Senate Finance Committee considers President Biden’s nominations for the U.S. Trade Representative and the number two Treasury official. Wally Adeyemo is the nominee for Deputy Treasury Secretary, and Katherine Tai is the USTR nominee. How the Biden Administration will handle China in the wake of the Trump trade war will be a key issue for both nominees.

As the nation’s top trade negotiator, Tai would be responsible for reviewing the tariffs that President Trump put into effect on China and other nations. She would also be responsible for the Phase One Trade Deal that China has yet to live up to.

Adeyemo will help lead the administration’s review of sanctions on Chinese leaders and firms that Trump put in place because of Beijing’s human rights abuses.

Both nominees will likely take a tough rhetorical stance on China’s trade practices and abuses without making concrete promises that would limit future policy options. That will fall in with Biden’s promise to review Trump’s tariffs on China and other nations before taking further action.

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