WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today released the following statement to commemorate of the start of World Trade Week:
“Trade directly impacts the lives and livelihoods of workers. In 2022, the United States produced $243.5 billion in agricultural goods, $2.8 trillion in manufactured goods, and $19.8 trillion in services. These numbers reflect the productivity of hardworking Americans who are integral to our trade agenda.
“Trade can strengthen our existing relationships and forge new ones. And trade must also support more opportunities and prosperity for the United States and the global economy.
“That is why the Biden-Harris Administration is writing a new story on trade that centers on workers’ ambitions. Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are strengthening our middle class and helping our people compete abroad. At USTR, we are meeting with local leaders and small business owners where they live so we can advocate for their interests, and collecting data to ensure that the benefits of our trade reach all Americans, particularly historically overlooked communities.
“In our negotiations abroad, we are advancing robust labor standards that empower workers and eliminate forced labor in our supply chains. We are pursuing ambitious environmental policies that defend our natural resources, including through the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies that I signed last month. We are also working with our partners and allies to pursue innovative trade arrangements, like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, to ensure our economy is more resilient to global shocks.
“As we celebrate World Trade Week, we recognize that trade can be a force for good. The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on using our existing trade tools – and developing new ones when necessary – to improve the lives of American workers and those around the world. Working closely with stakeholders and our constitutional partners in Congress, we will continue forging a new path in trade policy that grows our economy from the bottom up and the middle out.”
###
