The Biden-Harris administration is expected to choose Katherine Tai, currently chief trade counsel at the House Ways and Means Committee, as the next U.S. Trade Representative. Politico was the first to report the selection.
USTR traditionally is not the flashiest of cabinet-level positions. But President Trump’s aggressive trade policies and “America First” mentality has elevated interest in the pick. The Trump administration’s Section 201 tariffs on imported solar cells and modules mean the role is also a focus for parts of the solar industry hoping to shift policy under the new administration.
The Trump administration established four years of declining tariffs on imported solar in January 2018. In October, the president issued a proclamation that would increase the tariffs in their last year. President Trump also directed the USTR to investigate whether the tariffs’ term should be extended.