US Trade Representative Katherine Tai came under pressure in Senate negotiations aimed at bringing America into the Asia-Pacific trade pact that Washington withdrew from in 2017 and faced backlash for her backing of a proposal to waive coronavirus vaccine patent protections.
Tai’s hearing before the Senate Finance Committee reflected strong bipartisan support for talks regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that was revised by the remaining 11 signatories including Japan, Canada and Mexico after former president Donald Trump pulled the US out and came into effect as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2018.