WASHINGTON, DC – Where will the Administration go with its trade agenda over the next four years? According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) and their latest “2021 Trade Policy Agenda and 2020 Annual Report” submitted last week to Congress, the President’s trade agenda will seek a fair international trading system that promotes inclusive economic growth and reflects America’s universal values. “The President knows that trade policy should respect the dignity of work and value Americans as workers and wage-earners, not only as consumers” and the report says the U.S. will restore U.S. global leadership on combating forced labor and exploitative labor conditions, corruption, and discrimination against women and minorities around the world. Unlike the Trump agenda, Biden will look to engage not just on a bilateral basis, but also with groups of countries through multilateral engagements. Politico writes that the agenda “focuses more on achieving big policy goals like recovering from COVID-19, tackling climate change, and boosting wages at home and abroad, than it does on negotiating trade agreements to boost U.S. exports.” What is not known is whether the USTR will continue to pursue trade agreements with Kenya and the United Kingdom (UK).
(SOURCE: All Ag News)