Biden has reportedly chosen Capitol Hill staffer Katherine Tai as his US trade representative

• President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Katherine Tai for his US trade representative, four sources familiar with the decision said Wednesday.
• Tai is the chief trade lawyer for the House Ways and Means Committee, and played a key role in negotiating stronger labor provisions in the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
• Her appointment would make her the first woman of color to hold the position.
• Democratic representatives say she is "immensely qualified" for the role.

President-elect Joe Biden has selected Katherine Tai to serve as US trade representative during his administration, four sources familiar with the decision said Wednesday.

This would make her the first woman of color to hold the job.

Tai is the chief trade lawyer for the House Ways and Means Committee. She played a key role in negotiating stronger labor provisions with the Trump administration in the new US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal.

Tai was strongly backed by congressional Democrats and has the support of labor and business circles.

The job, sometimes called the "trade czar," is expected to be a linchpin position as Biden races to rebuild ties with key allies, re-energize manufacturing at home and punish Beijing for anti-competitive trade practices.

A Yale and Harvard-educated Chinese American who speaks Mandarin and taught university English for two years in Guangzhou, Tai headed China trade enforcement at the US Trade Representative's office (USTR) from 2011 to 2014.

In that role, Tai was the main attorney litigating trade violation cases against China before the World Trade Organization.

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Biden's decision was first reported by Politico. A spokesman for his transition declined to comment.

In August, Tai called for a different approach to China from the tariff war waged by trade czar Robert Lighthizer. She argued that the US needed a better offense than tariffs, which were largely defensive.

The Senate will vote on whether to confirm Tai for the cabinet position.

"Katherine Tai is immensely qualified to be our next trade ambassador," Suzanne Bonamici, Democratic representative in Oregon, who sits on the USMCA Working Group, said Wednesday. She cited Tai's "diplomatic skills and subject matter expertise."

Bonamici continued: "President-elect Biden will be well served by her representing the American people in global negotiations as US trade representative."

Judy Chu, a California Democratic representative, who also chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, added: "Katherine would be the first Asian American and the first woman of color to serve in this role, breaking barriers and clearing the way for others to follow."

In November, Bonamici and Chu were among 10 female House members who urged Biden to nominate Tai for the role.