"Biden Nominates Pahgan as USTR Deputy Representative and US Ambassador to WTO"

Maria Luisa Pagan (Photo by the White House)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to nominate trade expert Maria Luisa Fagan as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 10th (local time).

Fagan, who has worked as a U.S. government trade attorney for nearly 30 years, currently serves as USTR's legal counsel and previously acted as the chief legal advisor during the negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Katherine Tai, USTR Representative, praised Fagan, saying, "She possesses unparalleled expertise in trade agreements and is a savvy negotiator in rebuilding relationships with trade partners."

Wendy Cutler, Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and former USTR official, stated, "The WTO faces urgent and important issues such as vaccine intellectual property waivers, negotiations on digital trade norms including e-commerce, and the U.S.-China trade dispute. Having an experienced negotiator like Fagan will help address the challenges the WTO is confronting."

Since Katherine Tai was appointed as USTR Representative in March, all three Deputy Representative positions have remained vacant. Senate confirmation proceedings are underway for other Deputy Representative nominees Sarah Bianchi and Jaime White.

Meanwhile, Christopher Wilson is expected to be nominated as the Chief Negotiator for Intellectual Property at USTR. Wilson joined USTR in 2000 and has been responsible for South Asia and Central Asia regions. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the WTO during the Obama and Trump administrations.

This nomination is interpreted as reflecting the U.S. government's intention to advance dispute resolution and new trade agreements. Unlike the Trump administration, which heightened tensions with China and allies through unilateral trade policies, the Biden administration has pledged to build close cooperative relationships with allies and multilateral organizations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.