INTERNATIONAL TRADE ISSUES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

Biden Administration's highest priorities well into the second half of 2021 will be domestic matters such as dealing effectively with the coronavirus pandemic and repairing the economic devastation caused for businesses and workers by the pandemic.1 Still, the Administration cannot safely ignore certain trade issues for American workers and businesses (including those who have been hit hard by both the recession and the China tariffs) even in these initial months of the Administration. A full "time out" on trade would be risky since U.S. adversaries such as China are energetically seeking to dominate the field, currently without effective pushback by the United States. Others, although important, are not as critical for the health of the nation. This paper divides the trade issues between the highest priorities (Part I) and those that probably can be safely addressed later (Part II). Part III is a short conclusion. I note that even the trade issues I consider to be lower priorities, including currency concerns with Vietnam and possible free trade agreements with Kenya are not being ignored by the Biden Administration's U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai and her colleagues. In all instances changing the tone of U.S. trade diplomacy may be almost as important as the substantive results. The Biden Administration's USTR Katherine Tai,2 and the rest of the administration's trade bureaucracy, recognize that effective trade policies for the United States require the support not only of members of Congress but also the public. Finally, considering trade policy as well as other Administration endeavors, it is important for the Biden Administration to encourage its allies and adversaries alike to understand that the United States is prepared to deal multilaterally as well as unilaterally when it makes sense to do so, and remains committed to the rule of law in trade matters as well as otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]