Joe Biden’s trade nominee Katherine Tai wins unanimous US Senate backing in procedural vote
- The rare 98-0 result means Tai should easily secure bipartisan confirmation to become US Trade Representative in a vote expected on Wednesday
- She will immediately face a range of issues, including confronting Chinese trade practices and resolving disputes with European countries
Katherine Tai, President Joe Biden’s nominee for US Trade Representative, won unanimous support in a US Senate procedural vote on Tuesday and appeared set for confirmation on Wednesday.
The rare 98-0 vote on the motion to end debate on the nomination means Tai, 47, will easily win bipartisan confirmation. Plans for a Wednesday vote on her nomination were confirmed by a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.
Confirmation would put Tai, the former chief Democratic trade lawyer for the House Ways and Means Committee and USTR China enforcement chief, to work immediately on a range of trade issues.
These include trying to resolve festering disputes with European countries over aircraft subsidies and digital services taxes to confronting Chinese trade practices and enforcing new labour rights provisions in the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
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“Katherine Tai is going to make a great US Trade Representative,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden said on the Senate floor before the vote. “She’s got the right diversity of experience. She’s focused on protecting American workers and creating new high-skill, high-wage jobs in this country.”
