Clifford Chance

The Drumbeat on US Trade Policy Continues

June 23, 2023

"Our mandate is clear: complacency is not an option." On June 15, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai spoke at the National Press Club, in what was publicized as a "major speech," although sweeping in scope, the messages delivered were a continuation of the current Administration's trade policy. Throughout the remarks, Tai criticized "trade rules [designed] to liberalize as much as possible" and described "a global race to the bottom" where large corporations flock to countries with low wages and poor working conditions. To counter that model, Tai outlined a labor-focused vision for trade, leveraging U.S. competition and industrial policies to elevate workers at home and abroad.

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