By Mitchell Hart

July 24, 2024 – President Biden announced this week that he is dropping out of the presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris may replace him as the new Democratic nominee. Here are three key trade issues and where the Vice President may stand based on her previous statements and actions: 

1) USMCA and Trade Facilitation

Vice President Harris voted against the USMCA while representing California in the Senate. During her presidential primary campaign in 2019, then-Senator Harris stated, “I can tell you that in a Harris administration, there would be no trade deal that would be signed unless it protected American workers and it protected our environment.”

2) Tariffs

There are indications that the Harris campaign might diverge from the Biden administration on tariffs. Harris has been quoted saying, “I am not a protectionist Democrat. Look, we need to sell our stuff. And that means we need to sell it to people overseas. That means we need trade policies that allow that to happen.”

3) China

During a primary debate in the 2020 cycle, Harris expressed her stance on China trade policy: “It’s a complicated relationship. We must hold China accountable. They steal our products, including our intellectual property. They dump substandard products into our economy. They need to be held accountable.”

In the coming weeks, AAEI will be meeting with officials representing both the Republican and Democratic nominees. 

Members can contact Government Affairs Manager Mitchell Hart with questions or concerns.