releases: https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/portman-difference/former-us-trade-representatives-panel-portman-highlights-importance
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/portman-difference/former-us-trade-representatives-panel-portman-highlights-importance | On Former U.S. Trade Representatives Panel, Portman Highlights Importance of Renewing Trade Promotion Authority, Proposes Supercharging American Competitiveness | 2020-12-17 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | OH | Rob Portman | P000449 | www.portman.senate.gov | legacy | On Former U.S. Trade Representatives Panel, Portman Highlights Importance of Renewing Trade Promotion Authority, Proposes Supercharging' American Competitiveness December 17, 2020 | Portman Difference This afternoon, Senator Portman participated in a Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual event entitled A Conversation with Former USTRs, and highlighted the importance of renewing the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). He also proposed using TPA, or a similar opportunity, to invest in American workers with new anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, as well as in American manufacturing and high technology, like artificial intelligence, all in an effort to keep the United States competitive with respect to China. Portman, who was the U.S. Trade Representative during the George W. Bush administration, has been a leading voice in the Senate on U.S. trade policy and serves on the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade issues. In addition, Senator Portman discussed his support for President-Elect Biden's nomination of Katherine Tai to be the next U.S. Trade Representative. Excerpts of the event can be found below and a video of Senator Portman's remarks can be found here and here. PORTMAN ON OPPORTUNITY TO ENERGIZE TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY TO REINVEST IN AMERICA: I want to tie three things together, and then I have to run and go vote. One, is the WTO stuff we talked about, the Trade Promotion Authority issue, and China. I do think, and this may way too optimistic or pie in the sky, but I think with regard to the expiration of TPA there is an opportunity to attempt to supercharge it as we did in the 1988 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, where we both seek TPA to extend our authority to be able to negotiate agreements, but also put the United States in a stronger position. And vis-a-vis China that means investing more in artificial intelligence and other technologies as part of that. So I think it fits. With regard to trade generally, and China in particular, strengthening our countervailing duty and antidumping laws and bringing them more up to speed -- and I've shared some drafts of some ideas we have with you and we'd love to get your input -- but I think it is time, as Bill Brock said earlier, to have a relook at our U.S. trade policy and come up with a policy that works better for us, and so that more of our citizens can say, Ok this is actually working. We think that trade is a good thing.' So anyway, that's the thought -- taking advantage of TPA to both reinvest in America and our technologies. We're doing this in the National Defense Authorization Act right now with regard to artificial intelligence by the way. We're taking some nice steps forward, but I think it needs to be even more. We've got legislative initiatives to do that, to catch up, and perhaps that combination of trade policy, TPA, and investing in technology could be successful where a narrow TPA could not. PORTMAN ON NOMINATION OF KATHERINE TAI TO BE NEXT U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: I'm glad that Katherine Tai is the likely nominee, I think that will help in terms of moving a trade agenda forward vis-a-vis Congress because she obviously knows how we operation and understands TPA well In the case of Katherine Tai, again, she's going to be knocking on all of your doors, I hope she will. But again, we have somebody who is an experienced trade lawyer who understands how the Hill works, which is, I think, enabling the new administration to hit the ground running. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |