Tag: Tariffs

Will the New U.S. Trade Rep Be Hobbled by Lobbyists?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Will the New U.S. Trade Rep Be Hobbled by Lobbyists?

Tai could represent a new era in Democratic trade policy, replacing both “free trade” scams on one flank, and the incoherent economic nationalism of Donald Trump on the other, with careful, substantive policy that serves America’s economic interest.

But the way these things work, Tai is at risk of having corporate types imposed just below her, in the key deputy USTR slots. There is a revolving door between USTR and powerful corporations, notably Big Tech companies, which have much to gain or lose from trade deals. As I’ve written, the next round of trade deals will resolve significant questions about e-commerce, privacy, the use of algorithms, and much more.

Related:

Joe Biden’s US trade chief pick ‘unmatched’ on China issues, would not be soft on Beijing

[Clete] Willems said she would “share Lighthizer’s hawkishness on China and has a tonne of direct background on China’s industrial policy from her days at USTR”, adding that “having someone who can directly converse with China in their own language is going to command respect”.

A New Strategy for China with Biden? Or is it Too Late?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

A New Strategy for China with Biden? Or is it Too Late?

Biden’s backing seems to come from elements within the US power structure that favor a softer approach with Beijing. However, the escalated climate of the previous four years may make a big reversal in Sino-US relations impossible. Biden may simply follow Trump’s course as the geopolitical stage marches ahead post-COVID, completely reshuffled.

In debate, Harris signaled a sharper break with Trump administration over China

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

In debate, Harris signaled a sharper break with Trump administration over China

Responding to Pence’s comments, Senator Harris highlighted the fact that the United States had a team of experts on the ground in China to monitor disease outbreaks that had been withdrawn by the Trump administration. She’s right: Upon coming into office, the administration reduced the number of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health staff in China and shut down the National Science Foundation office in Beijing. As Jennifer Huang Bouey, an epidemiologist and Georgetown University professor has explained, “five years earlier, CDC and NIH officials would have been on the ground in Wuhan.”