Clete Willems Quoted in Law360 on China Strategy as a Trade Concern for Biden-Harris Admin.
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Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems has been quoted in the Law360 story “Top 4 Trade Questions Facing Attys: Midyear Report.” The article looks at some key trade policy issues that could be active during the second half of 2021.
One area to watch, according to Willems, pertains to the Biden-Harris administration’s China policy.
“In the next six months, we are going to have to see decisions on what they do directly vis-a-vis China,” said Willems, a former Trump administration trade official.
Among the most pressing issues facing President Biden, according to Law360, is the fate of the tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. Last year’s “Phase One” trade accord with China left the door open for talks on more contentious issues like subsidies and cybersecurity, the article says, but it’s still unclear whether Mr. Biden will engage with Beijing directly, use allies to exert leverage or some combination of the two.
“They’re going to try to figure out what to do with the existing tariffs, whether to hold negotiations and see if there is an offensive trade agenda outside of China that puts pressure on it,” Willems noted.