Letter: US and allied trade policy needs leadership, not retrenchment
From Andrea Durkin and others | June 9, 2024
In her May 27 opinion “Trade must transform its role in the social contract”, Katherine Tai, US trade representative (USTR), paints a grim portrait of the global trading system. This however ignores the 41mn US workers and 6.5mn UK workers, as well as all the consumers in the US and UK whose payslips and spending power depend on trade. Trade is linked with higher paying jobs, increased living standards, upward mobility and reduced inflation, benefiting both workers and consumers at home and globally.
Forward-looking trade policy and agreements play a vital role in promoting supply chain resilience and security through engagement with allies. President Joe Biden has affirmed that “America’s alliances are our greatest asset” and has further stated that “if we don’t write the global rules of the road for trade, cyber, [and] . . . climate change, they may be written by China or other nations that don’t share our values.”
Now is the time for strong US and allied economic leadership — not for retrenchment.
- Andrea Durkin, Vice-president for International Policy, National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, DC, US
- Christine Bliss, President, Coalition of Services Industries
- Ed Brzytwa, Vice-president, International Trade, Consumer Technology Association
- Joseph Whitlock, Executive Director, Global Data Alliance
- Aaron Cooper, Senior Vice-President, Global Policy, BSA | The Software Alliance
- Alex Botting, Coalition to Reduce Cyber Risk
- Alice Slayton Clark, Senior-Vice President, Trade, Investment and Digital Policy, U.S. Council for International Business
- Anders Halvorsen, Vice-President, Global Public Policy, World Innovation Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA)
- Beth Hughes, Vice-President, Trade & Customs Policy at American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
- Blake Harden, Vice-President, International Trade at Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
- Brian Scarpelli, Senior Global Policy Counsel, ACT | The App Association
- Douglas Petersen, Deputy Vice-President, International, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
- Jonathan Gold, Vice-President, Supply Chain and Customs Policy, National Retail Federation
- Jonathan McHale, Vice-President, Digital Trade, Computer & Communications Industry Association
- John Murphy, Senior Vice-President, Head of International, US Chamber of Commerce
- Julia Hughes, President, US Fashion Industry Association
- Ken Montgomery, Executive Director, Technology Trade Regulation Alliance
- Naomi Wilson, Senior Vice-President of Policy for Asia and Global Trade, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)
- Patrick Lozada, Director, Global Policy, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
- Tiffany Smith, Vice-President, Global Trade Policy, National Foreign Trade Council