KATHERINE TAI

This year’s World Economic Forum theme, a plaintive appeal to find “cooperation in a fragmented world,” seems possessed by ruptures that have taken place around the world.

The United States and European Union have agreed to intensify talks to resolve EU concerns over major subsidies for American companies contained in a U.S. clean energy law.

MEXICO CITY — (AP) — Mexico’s economy secretary on Thursday proposed yet another round of talks with the United States on a dispute over Mexico’s energy sector. Mexico hopes to stave off a full-fledged trade complaint under the U.s.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The United States could demand an arbitration panel, and the dispute could end in trade sanctions on Mexico. The United States says Mexico is unfairly favoring its state-owned electricity and oil companies over American competitors and clean-energy suppliers. Mexico and the U.S. appear headed for another commercial dispute over a Mexican ban on imports of genetically modified yellow corn.

Mexico's economy secretary has proposed yet another round of talks with the United States on a dispute over Mexico's energy sector.

NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Kenya’s new president says the Cabinet has “effectively” lifted the country’s ban on openly cultivating genetically modified crops, reversing a decade-old decision as the East African country struggles with food security and a deadly drought. “Open cultivation and importation of White (GMO) Maize is now authorized,” the presidency statement said Monday, after years of concerns in Kenya and much of the African continent over the safety of genetically modified foods. Earlier this year, the United States via its trade representative’s office criticized Kenya over its ban and the effects on U.S. agricultural exports to East Africa’s commercial hub. The ban also affected food aid, the office asserted in its annual report published in March. Many African countries have bans on genetically modified agriculture, amid concerns about potentially harmful effects on smallholder farms, existing crops, the environment and people’s long-term health.

Kenya’s new president says the Cabinet has “effectively” lifted the country’s ban on openly cultivating genetically modified crops, reversing a decade-old decision as the East African country struggles with food security and a deadly drought

The European Union trade chief says a new U.S. tax credit aimed at encouraging Americans to buy electric vehicles could eventually backfire and limit choices for American consumers.

The United States is putting pressure on Mexico over energy policies that Washington says unfairly favor Mexico's state-owned electricity and oil companies over American competitors and clean-energy suppliers.

The Chinese government says its envoy to trade war talks with Washington has expressed concern about U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports during a phone call with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

President Joe Biden says he plans to talk to Chinese leader Xi Jinping soon as he considers whether to lift some Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods.

Stocks ended another bumpy week with more losses Friday as investors considered the downside of the still-strong U.S. jobs market.

China’s government has accused Washington of jeopardizing peace after U.S. envoys began trade talks with Taiwan aimed at deepening relations with the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing.

The United States and four other nations emphasized their support for host nation Thailand after they walked out of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group meeting in Bangkok.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. He walked out in good company.”A U.S. official in Bangkok confirmed the walkout but did not provide further details. The war in Ukraine has raised major trade issues because it has disrupted supply chains, especially in the food sector. APEC was launched in 1989 to boost growth by promoting economic integration and trade among its members. ___Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Delegates from the United States and four other nations staged a walkout Saturday when a representative from Russia began his opening remarks at a meeting of trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group in the Thai capital, officials said. A Japanese official said Japan's Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda and his counterparts from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada walked out of the meeting in Bangkok to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The top U.S. trade negotiator says with world economies all suffering from more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic and global supply problems exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has an “incredible opportunity” to engage with other nations and forge new partnerships and agreements.

"Sadly the Senate failed to stand in defense of a woman's right to make decisions about her own body," US Vice President Kamala Harris says after a Democratic drive to make the right to abortion the law of the land failed in the US Senate.

China has rejected a U.S. accusation that Beijing is failing to live up to its market-opening commitments in a new round of complaints as companies wait for the two governments to restart talks on ending a tariff war.

The United States has accused China of failing to meet its commitments to the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office has filed the first environmental complaint against Mexico for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise

The U.S. Trade Representative's Office has filed the first environmental complaint against Mexico for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise.

Senate Broadband Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo testifies before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, to examine expanding broadband access, focusing on the Department of Commerce broadband programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) (Andrew Harnik)U.S. government officials said Monday that they reached an agreement to essentially lift the 25% tariff that former President Donald Trump imposed on imported Japanese steel. The deal with Japan would exclude the first 1.25 million metric tons of imported steel from the tax. The Biden administration has bluntly centered its policies on competing against China, which accounts for the majority of global steel production, according to the Belgium-based World Steel Association. Trump announced the steel tariffs in March 2018 on national security grounds, even though the taxes initially hit many U.S. allies.

U.S. government officials say they have reached an agreement to essentially lift the 25% tariff that former President Donald Trump imposed on imported Japanese steel.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to begin talks on removing former President Donald Trump's import taxes on British steel and aluminum. Chris Swonger, president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called Wednesday's announcement “a very positive development.'' Critics said all along that Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs did little to address the real problem confronting American producers of steel and aluminum: overproduction by China. But the United States already shuts out most Chinese steel. So the Trump tariffs dealt out punishment mostly to American allies.

The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to begin talks on removing former President Donald Trump’s import taxes on British steel and aluminum.

With Covid-19 vaccination rollouts in low-income countries still lagging far behind those in rich ones, a group of nations continues to push its proposal at the World Trade Organization to lift intellectual property protections for makers of the vaccines. Supporters of the waiver say the spread of the latest coronavirus variant, omicron, brings greater urgency to the need to speed production of vaccines in the developing world. Vaccine makers and other critics of the waiver say it undermines the

Japan US U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, right, poses for a photo with her counterpart Koichi Hagiuda prior to their meeting in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) (Koji Sasahara)TOKYO — (AP) — U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai and Japan’s trade and industry minister agreed Wednesday to work to resolve a dispute over American tariffs on steel and aluminum, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. METI said in a statement that the two sides had confirmed plans for negotiations on resolving the tariffs issue and addressing global excess production capacity. Trump imposed extra tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and 10% on imports of aluminum, citing a need to protect American industries. The U.S. and EU recently resolved their dispute over the punitive tariffs, with the U.S. agreeing to increase imports from the bloc.

U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai and Japan's trade minister have agreed to work to resolve a dispute over American tariffs on steel and aluminum as part of a framework for deeper cooperation.

China's exports remained strong in October, a positive sign for an economy trying to weather power shortages and COVID-19 outbreaks. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (Andy Wong)BEIJING — (AP) — China's exports remained strong in October, a positive sign for an economy trying to weather power shortages and COVID-19 outbreaks. The country's customs agency said Sunday that exports totaled $300.2 billion, up 27.1% from a year ago. China’s trade surplus in October was $84.5 billion, up from $66.8 billion the previous month, the customs agency said. The surplus with the U.S. was down slightly to $40.7 billion, compared to $42 billion in September.

China’s exports remained strong in October, a positive sign for an economy trying to weather power shortages and COVID-19 outbreaks.

President Joe Biden is praising a new U.S. and European Union agreement that would crack down on “dirty steel” that leads to carbon emissions.

The U.S. and European Union have reached an agreement to settle their diplomatic rift over Trump-era steel and aluminum tariffs.

Switzerland WTO US Vaccines US Trade Representative Katherine Tai speaks during a discussion, at the Geneva Graduate Institute on the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the global economy, in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. A top U.S. trade official says the Biden administration remains committed to an easing of rules that protect the technology behind coronavirus vaccines so that they can be produced more widely. That was after Washington took a stance in May in favor of a waiver of intellectual property rules at the WTO when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines to help boost production around the world. She said the United States and many other countries want to see increased production of vaccines and more equitable access to them. The waiver on COVID-19 vaccines is “something we remain dedicated to,” she said, while noting that the WTO operates by consensus — meaning all 164 member states must agree.

A top U.S. trade official says the Biden administration remains committed to an easing of rules that protect the technology behind coronavirus vaccines so that they can be produced more widely.

GENEVA — (AP) — A top U.S. trade official said Thursday the Biden administration remains committed to an easing of rules that protect the technology behind coronavirus vaccines so that they can be produced more widely. But ambassador Katherine Tai insisted that “we cannot will something into being” in negotiations on the issue at the World Trade Organization — because any such move requires all its member states to come on board. She said the United States and many other countries want to see increased production of vaccines and more equitable access to them. The waiver on COVID-19 vaccines is “something we remain dedicated to,” she said, while noting that the WTO operates by consensus — meaning all 164 member states must agree. The council chair, Ambassador Dagfinn Sorli of Norway, said he would aim to use the opportunity to advance toward a consensus when trade ministers from WTO member states meet from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.

In a relationship as fraught as America’s and China’s, just an agreement that talks were productive was a sign of progress.

Asian shares have slipped in cautious trading despite a rally on Wall Street led by technology companies and banks that erased most of the losses from a sell-off the day before.

U.S.-China talks will be "extremely tough sledding," but reengagement is the right strategy, according to Wendy Cutler of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Biden Mideast FILE - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, June 7, 2021, in Washington. The meeting, set for Wednesday in Zurich, comes after the White House on Monday criticized Beijing over several days of sustained military harassment against the self-ruled island of Taiwan. The White House this week raised concerns that Beijing was undermining regional peace and stability with its “provocative” action. Administration officials have expressed frustration that interactions with high-level Chinese officials in the early going of the administration have been less than constructive. The South China Morning Post first reported plans for the meeting between Sullivan and Yang.

President Joe Biden is dispatching White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan for talks with a senior Chinese foreign policy adviser.

Hong Kong Financial Markets A man walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) (Vincent Yu)NEW YORK — (AP) — Stocks are ticking higher as Wall Street looks to bounce back from losses a day earlier. Global shares were mixed Tuesday after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. Wall Street will get more information on the economy’s health this week.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit increased to a record $73.3 billion in August as a small gain in exports was swamped by a much larger increase in imports. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the monthly trade deficit increased 4.2% in August, rising to an all-time high, surpassing the previous record of $73.2 billion set in June. The trade deficit represents the gap between what the country exports to the rest of the world and the imports it purchases from other countries. But imports, even with all the supply chain problems at ports, were up an even stronger 1.4% to $287 billion. The politically sensitive deficit with China surged 10.8% to $31.7 billion.

The U.S. trade deficit increased to a record $73.3 billion in August as a small gain in exports was swamped by a much larger increase in imports.

The Biden administration has been more skeptical of free trade than many predicted, and remains hawkish toward China.

Hong Kong Financial Markets A man walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) (Vincent Yu)Global shares were mixed Tuesday after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. Shares rose in Paris, London and Hong Kong but fell in Tokyo. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.3% to 24,104.15.

Hong Kong Financial Markets A man walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) (Vincent Yu)Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Tuesday after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. Tokyo’s Nikkei fell 2.2% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng recovered from early losses. Tai said she did not want to “inflame trade tensions with China."

Hong Kong Financial Markets A man walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) (Vincent Yu)Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies. Wall Street is also worried about the Federal Reserve's timing on trimming back bond purchases and an eventual move to raise its benchmark interest rate. Wall Street will get more information on the economy’s health this week.

Tai confirmed a CNBC report last week saying that the Biden administration believed that Beijing has not complied with the phase one trade deal.

Washington must enforce phase one trade deal with China, and will raise broader policy concerns with Beijing, USTR Katherine Tai is expected to say on Monday.

Shares have fallen in Asia after a broad slide on Wall Street led by technology companies.

President Biden's top trade official, Katherine Tai, will announce that China hasn't complied with the phase one trade deal, sources said.

The United States and the European Union have agreed to a "rebalancing" of global supply chains when it comes to semiconductors.

US EU Trade United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, left, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attend the inaugural meeting of the United States-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC) at the Hazelwood Green Mill 19 building, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Pittsburgh. During two days of trade and technology talks in Pittsburgh, they set up 10 working groups to go over issues ranging from climate and clean tech and technology standards to global trade issues, including tariffs that have strained U.S.-EU relations and predatory commercial practices by China. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai led the U.S. delegation, accompanied by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, for the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council. Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Japan largely endorsed the Biden administration’s position, while Germany, Italy and the European Union showed hesitancy during the talks. The Pittsburgh talks came as the Biden administration is looking to soon complete its review of the Trump administration’s trade policies toward China.

US EU Trade United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, left, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attend the inaugural meeting of the United States-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC) at the Hazelwood Green Mill 19 building, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke) (Rebecca Droke)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a number of other senior Biden administration officials are kicking off two days of trade and technology talks with European Union counterparts in Pittsburgh. Blinken is being joined in Pittsburgh by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Japan largely endorsed the Biden administration’s position, while Germany, Italy and the European Union showed hesitancy during the talks. The Pittsburgh talks come as the Biden administration is looking to soon complete its review of the Trump administration’s trade policies toward China.

The United States and European Union have agreed to carry on the the work of 10 expert panels to explore and recommend solutions to a variety of trade disputes and challenges.

The urgency between the U.S. and European Union to cooperate on trade and tech broadcasts Western ambition to ante up for competition with China.

The United States and Mexico have restarted high-level economic talks after a four-year pause.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai was speaking Tuesday with business associations, according to a government readout.

The deep freeze in U.S.-China ties has not lifted in the first six months of the Biden presidency. Instead, relations may be growing all the more tense.

Kamau Marshall, who was Biden's director of strategic communications during the 2020 election, is now USTR's deputy assistant for media and public affairs.

President Joe Biden is facing a formidable to-do list now that he’s back from his eight-day trip to Europe.

Scotch whisky makers are breathing a sigh of relief after the United States agreed to suspend tariffs on one of Scotland’s main exports.

Historic trade pact ends long-running dispute that led to billions in tariffs on aircraft, wine and other products.

Historic trade pact ends long-running dispute that led to billions in tariffs on aircraft, wine and other products.

Europe US Airbus Boeing FILE - In this Feb.14, 2019 file photo, an Airbus A380, left, and a Boeing 747, both from Lufthansa airline pass each other at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. The United States and the European Union on Tuesday appeared close to clinching a deal to end a damaging dispute over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing and lift billions of dollars in punitive tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the two sides have come to terms on a five-year agreement to suspend the tariffs at the center of the dispute. BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and the European Union appeared close to reaching a deal to end a damaging dispute over subsidies to rival plane makers Boeing and Airbus and lift billions of dollars in punitive tariffs. A person familiar with the discussions said that the U.S. and EU officials have reached principles of an agreement to end their 17-year dispute over the aircraft subsidies.

Fresh from supportive summits with allies, Joe Biden is declaring himself ready to take on Russia’s Vladimir Putin in far more confrontational talks.

Extra US tariffs on UK and other goods are delayed as international tax talks continue.

China’s chief economic envoy and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have held their first meeting by video but the two sides gave no indication when negotiations on ending their tariff war might resume.

Longtime diplomat Nicholas Burns is president's pick for China post while former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is tapped for Japan.

The meeting between the top US and Chinese trade negotiators was described as "candid and pragmatic".

Former President Donald Trump is worried about what appears to be a snowballing criminal investigation of his business, and he has been for months, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman told CNN on Wednesday. "People close to him all say he is anxious about this," Haberman said. Politico on Wednesday quoted a Trump adviser saying "there's definitely a cloud of nerves in the air" on Trump's team, but CNN's Brianna Keilar also pointed to a different Politico article about Trump working with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on a new "Contract With America." Haberman said that's mostly a way of distracting Trump.

President Joe Biden also gave US intel 90 days to produce a report on the matter, days after reports that Wuhan lab workers fell ill in the fall of 2019.

BEIJING — (AP) — U.S. and Chinese trade envoys talked by phone Thursday for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, but the two sides gave no sign when negotiations on ending their tariff war might restart. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed her “ongoing review” of the trade relationship, her office said in a statement. Biden has yet to say what approach he will take to the conflict launched by former President Donald Trump, who raised tariffs on Chinese imports over complaints about Beijing’s industrial policy and trade surplus. China retaliated by suspending purchases of U.S. soybeans and raising tariffs on other goods. The two sides agreed in the “Phase 1” deal to suspend further tariff hikes on each other’s goods and to roll some back.

U.S. and Chinese trade envoys have talked by phone for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, but the two sides gave no sign when negotiations on ending their tariff war might restart.

U.S. and Chinese trade envoys talked by phone Thursday for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, but the two sides gave no sign when negotiations on ending their tariff war might restart. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed her “ongoing review” of the trade relationship, her office said in a statement. Biden has yet to say what approach he will take to the conflict launched by former President Donald Trump, who raised tariffs on Chinese imports over complaints about Beijing’s industrial policy and trade surplus.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had a "candid, pragmatic and constructive" call, China's Ministry of Commerce said.

Gladys Sicknick, the mother of a Capitol Police officer who collapsed during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and later died, is asking Republican senators to pass legislation creating a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection. The bill passed the House with the support of 35 Republicans, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said the GOP needs to block the commission because it would litigate the actions of former President Donald Trump and "continue to debate things that have been done in the past."

European Union and U.S. top trade officials used a virtual meeting to cement recent advances in settling some key differences that have soured trans-Atlantic relations over the past years.

The UK wants a quick trade deal with Australia, but concerns over agricultural tariffs could get in the way.

Some may find the nation’s relentless culture wars exhausting, but self-described “right-wing ideologue” Mike Davis does not count himself among the battle-weary. The energetic conservative operative announced on Monday the creation of a new group, Unsilenced Majority, that seeks to “oppose cancel culture and fight back against the woke mob and their enablers,” as a press release put it.

The United States has filed its first labor complaint involving Mexico under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, after an old-guard union was caught destroying ballots at a General Motors plant in northern Mexico.

"I'm still in the height of my career," the 79-year-old senator, who's served since 1985, said in a recent interview.

BioNTech said Monday there is currently "no evidence" to support the need to adapt the company's coronavirus vaccine, developed with Pfizer, to be more effective against emerging variants.Why it matters: Some health experts fear that contagious new variants could be more resistant against COVID-19 vaccines, prolonging the pandemic for years to come.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Health officials are still studying preliminary data on new variants, including B.1.617, a variant first detected in India that may be linked to the country's massive surge in cases.Slow global COVID-19 vaccination rates are raising concerns that worse variants of the coronavirus could be percolating, ready to rip into the world before herd immunity can diminish their impact, Axios' Eileen Drage O'Reilly reports.What to watch: BioNTech said that despite the lack of evidence that its vaccine is ineffective against variants, the company "has developed a comprehensive strategy to address these variants should the need arise in the future."For example, BioNTech and Pfizer plan to study the effectiveness of a third vaccine dose to prolong immunity against COVID-19 and to protect against variants. The companies say that the FDA has approved their further research plans. BioNTech and Pfizer are also currently studying their vaccine's effectiveness in children from 6 months to 11 years old and testing its use for healthy pregnant women. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

World Trade Organization leaders have recently urged member nations to come to an agreement on the potential vaccine patent waivers.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appears to be downplaying any prospect of an imminent trade deal with a post-Brexit Britain.

The Biden administration is joining calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic.

The World Trade Organization chief has appealed to member states to present and negotiate over a text that could lead to a temporary easing of trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology.

Two White House officials say the U.S. trade representative will begin talks in the World Trade Organization on ways to overcome intellectual property issues that are keeping poorer countries from making their own generic version of critically needed COVID-19 vaccines.

President Joe Biden's first Cabinet meeting looked and felt different from those held by his predecessor.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Joe Biden will convene his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday, a presidential rite of passage that will be used to promote his new infrastructure plan. Ad“The meetings can help align priorities, build morale, and allow Cabinet members to develop relationships with colleagues who they don’t normally see,” Lu said. The White House has highlighted that this Cabinet is the most diverse in history. In normal times, scheduling an in-person Cabinet meeting would require weeks, if not months, of planning to block off time in the travel schedules of the various principals. The Cabinet members will soon begin to fan out across the country to pitch both the COVID-19 relief and infrastructure plans, officials said.

Security forces stand by on Hledan road in Kamayut township of Yangon in Myanmar, Monday, March 29, 2021. Over 100 people across the country were killed by security forces on Saturday alone, including several children. “The United States strongly condemns the Burmese security forces’ brutal violence against civilians. AdTai's office said the United States was immediately suspending “all U.S. engagement with Burma under the 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.'' AdTwo-way trade between the two countries doesn't amount to much: Myanmar last year was the United States' 84th biggest partner in the trade of goods such as automobiles and machinery.

The only senators of Asian American heritage, they said they would withhold their support for his nominees until the diversity issue was addressed. AdDuckworth had said earlier that she raised the issue with top Biden advisers on Tuesday and afterward called the situation “not acceptable." “I’ve been talking to them for months and they’re still not aggressive, so I’m not going to be voting for any nominee from the White House other than diversity nominees,” Duckworth told reporters. But Hirono later said in a statement of her own that she too welcomed the appointment of an AAPI White House liaison and was dropping her objections. Tai, who was confirmed last week, is the first Asian American and first woman of color to serve as U.S. trade representative.

It's also spurring her and other Asian Americans to push for greater political influence in Washington and other power centers. President Joe Biden and his aides have been repeatedly pressed to include Asian Americans in his Cabinet. “I think symbolism and representation matters, but only up to a point,” said Aarti Kohli, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “Those things all contribute to lower rates of political participation among Asian Americans, but people — mistakenly, I think — assume that Asian Americans are somehow less interested in U.S. civic life.”AdThat's evolving. “Asian Americans didn't necessarily grow up with that vocabulary of advocacy and how to fight for ourselves," Meng said.

A leading spirits advocate is imploring top U.S. trade envoy Katherine Tai to not leave whiskey producers behind. Amir Peay, owner of the Lexington, Kentucky-based James E. Pepper Distillery, said American whiskey has become “collateral damage” in the trade disputes. But the breakthroughs left plenty unresolved, including disputes that led to the retaliatory tariffs still hitting American whiskey. AdThe suspended tariffs mean some European spirits producers can ship their products into the U.S. duty free, while American whiskey makers are still subject to tariffs, Whiting said. “We just want a level playing field for American whiskey,” he said.

Katherine Tai, nominee for U.S. trade representative, speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Katherine Tai as the top U.S. trade envoy in an overwhelming bipartisan vote on Wednesday . AdFluent in Mandarin, Tai served several years as head of China enforcement at the trade representative’s office. Biden and his team appear to be in no hurry to reverse Trump’s China tariffs. Far from coordinating with U.S. allies on trade, Trump sparred with them instead, putting tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatening to target European cars, too.

Katherine Tai, nominee for U.S. trade representative, testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s pick to be the top U.S. trade envoy promised to work with America’s allies to combat China’s aggressive trade policies, indicating a break from the Trump administration’s go-it-alone approach. Biden and his team have not indicated — and Tai didn't say Thursday — whether they will keep Trump’s tariffs. Far from coordinating with U.S. allies on trade, Trump sparred with them instead, putting tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatening to target European cars, too. She handled negotiations with the Trump administration over a revamped North American trade deal.

FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2020, file photo Katherine Tai, the Biden administration's choice totake overas the U.S. trade representative, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. President Joe Bidens pick to be the top U.S. trade envoy is promising to work with Americas allies to combat Chinas aggressive trade policies. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's pick to be the top U.S. trade envoy is promising to work with America's allies to combat China's aggressive trade policies, indicating a break from the Trump administration's go-it-alone approach. Fluent in Mandarin, Tai served several years as head of China enforcement at the trade representative's office. Far from working with allies on trade, Trump sparred with them instead, putting tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatening to target European cars, too.

Susan Rice, the Biden administration's choice to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. His choice for agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, served in the same post for Obama for eight years. Above all, they know how government should and can work for all Americans.”Relying too heavily on Obama administration veterans has already begun to draw some grumbling from members of Biden's own party, however. Mark Riddle, a Democratic strategist who founded a pro-Biden Super PAC during the 2020 presidential campaign, said there is no danger in relying too heavily on “all star” former Obama administration leaders. “If we come out of the box on jobs, jobs, jobs, I feel great.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is set to nominate Katherine Tai to be the top U.S. trade envoy, according to two people familiar with his plans. Biden's selection of Tai, who is Asian American, reflects his promise to choose a diverse Cabinet that reflects the makeup of the country. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Tai earlier oversaw China trade enforcement for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, setting U.S. strategy in trade disputes with China. Biden’s trade representative will inherit a trade war with China, put on pause by an interim trade pact in January that left many of the hardest issues unresolved and U.S. taxes remaining on $360 billion in Chinese imports. As the top trade staffer at Ways and Means, Tai handled negotiations last year with the Trump administration over a revamped North American trade deal.