Katherine Tai

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Katherine Tai
Katherine Tai Square.png
Basic facts
Current Campaign:Biden administration
Organization:U.S. trade representative
Education:• Yale University
• Harvard Law School


Katherine Tai is the U.S. trade representative in the Biden administration. The Senate confirmed her on March 17, 2021, by a vote of 98-0. Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.

Tai was born in Connecticut and raised in Washington, D.C.[1] Her parents were born in mainland China and raised in Taiwan before immigrating to the United States.[1] Regarding her experience as the daughter of immigrant parents, Tai, who speaks fluent Mandarin, said, “I feel like my entire life, I’ve been trained as a bridge-builder and someone who is always bridging two languages, two worlds, two cultures, two sets of expectations.”[2]

Tai received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard University.[3] Between college and law school, she taught English at Sun Yat-sen University as a Yale-China Fellow.[3] Tai said her decision to become a trade attorney came from wanting “to marry up the most interesting experiences I’d had—my interest in history, what I had seen happening in Asia, South China and Hong Kong—[and] bring those elements of my experience into a legal practice and a career.”[2]

Following law school, Tai worked for several law firms, including Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy LLP, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, Miller and Chevalier Chartered, and Baker & McKenzie.[3] She also clerked for U.S. District Courts in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.[3]

From 2007 to 2014, Tai worked at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, which is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries.[3][4] She served as general counsel for the office until 2011 when she was named chief general counsel for China enforcement.[3] Tai was responsible for litigating trade violation cases before the World Trade Organization during her tenure.[5]

In 2014, Tai began working as trade counsel for the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.[3] She was named chief trade counsel in 2017.[3] In 2019, she handled negotiations between congressional Democrats and then-President Donald Trump’s (R) administration on the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).[6] According to The Washington Post’s David J. Lynch, she “helped design a creative approach to enforcing workers’ rights in Mexico, which involved the right to challenge the operations of individual Mexican factories.”[6]

During her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, Tai said her main priority would be “to help American communities emerge from the [COVID-19] pandemic and economic crisis.”[7] Tai also said her long-term goals in the role would include enforcing the terms of the USMCA, rebuilding international alliances, and addressing China’s trade practices.[7]

Biography

Tai graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School. She practiced law in Washington, D.C., with a focus on international trade issues. She served as associate general counsel and chief counsel for China trade enforcement at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In 2014, she began working as the chief trade counsel to the chairman and Democratic members of the House Committee on Ways and Means.[8][9]

Tai, who worked in China as a Yale-China fellow from 1996 to 1998, is fluent in Mandarin.[9][10]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Tai's academic, professional, and political career:

  • 2021-Present: U.S. trade representative
  • 2017-2021: Lead advisor to the chairman and Democratic members of the Committee on Ways and Means
  • 2014-2017: Trade counsel, Committee on Ways and Means
  • 2007-2014: Worked at USTR's Office of the General Counsel
  • 2001: Graduated from Harvard Law School
  • 1996-1998: Yale-China Fellow
  • 1996: Graduated from Yale University

Nomination for U.S. trade representative

See also: Joe Biden presidential transition and Confirmation process for Katherine Tai for U.S. trade representative
Joe Biden's Cabinet
Candidate: Katherine Tai
Position: U.S. Trade Representative
ApprovedaAnnounced:December 10, 2020
ApprovedaHearing:February 25, 2021
ApprovedaCommittee:Finanzbranche
ApprovedaReported:Favorable (Voice Vote)
ApprovedaConfirmed:March 17, 2021
ApprovedaVote:98-0

Biden announced on December 10, 2020, that Tai would be nominated for U.S. trade representative.[11] CNBC reported that Tai's selection "likely signals an intent to return to a more multilateral trade approach to advance U.S. trade interests and confront growing economic competition from China."[12]

The Biden Transition said in a press release that Tai was "a dedicated, deeply respected public servant and veteran international trade expert who has spent her career working to level the playing field for American workers and families."[8]

The Senate Finance Committee scheduled Tai's confirmation hearing for February 25, 2021. The Senate confirmed Tai on March 17, 2021, by a vote of 98-0.

Summary of Senate vote on Katherine Tai's nomination for U.S. trade representative (March 17, 2021)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 47 0 1
Republican Party Republicans 50 0 0
Grey.png Independents 1 0 1
Totals 98 0 2


Click on the following table to view the full roll call.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Katherine Tai. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Katherine Tai - Google News

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Foreign Policy, "Why Everyone Likes Katherine Tai," February 10, 2021
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 NBC News, "Trade Representative Katherine Tai talks being tough on China, without the racist rhetoric," May 23, 2022
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 LinkedIn, "Katherine Tai," accessed August 14, 2024
  4. ↑ Office of the United States Trade Representative, "Mission of the USTR," accessed August 14, 2024
  5. ↑ Roll Call, "Trade nominee Tai appears poised for Finance committee approval," February 25, 2021
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Washington Post, "Tai confirmed as top U.S. trade negotiator," March 17, 2021
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Office of the United States Trade Representative, "Opening Statement of Ambassador-designate Katherine Tai Before the Senate Finance Committee," February 24, 2021
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 4President, "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of His Administration," December 10, 2020
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The U.S.-China Business Council, "Katherine Tai," accessed December 10, 2020
  10. ↑ PBS NewsHour, "Biden to pick Katherine Tai as top trade envoy, sources say," December 9, 2020
  11. ↑ Biden-Harris Transition, "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of His Administration," December 10, 2020
  12. ↑ CNBC, "Biden picks longtime China critic Katherine Tai as top U.S. trade official," December 10, 2020

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Maria Pagan 		U.S. Trade Representative
2021-Present		 Succeeded by
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