WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – Katherine Tai appears headed to easy Senate confirmation as U.S. trade ambassador, after receiving bipartisan support at her Finance Committee hearing, focused largely on enforcing existing trade deals and pursuing some new ones key for agriculture.

A former USTR negotiator and House Ways and Means staffer, Tai gave few direct answers, but vowed to work with both parties to use the full “toolbox” of remedies to enforce trade deals–starting with USMCA on Mexican labor practices and Canadian dairy tariffs.

On China and its falling short of its Phase 1 commitments by several billion dollars last year.

On a US-UK deal post-Brexit and the continuing pandemic.

And while Biden and his team want to focus first on domestic issues like the pandemic, Tai assured lawmakers.

Especially on enforcement, and Tai says, advancing a “worker-centered trade policy,” including Ag workers.