As the legislative session kicks off here in Georgia, U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) is staying busy on a more global scale, helping broker the “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S. and China that hopes to put an end to the ongoing trade war between the countries.
Leveling the economic playing field between the U.S. and China was one of President Donald Trump’s key priorities as he headed into office in 2016. The ensuing trade war was predictably divisive, but the White House stuck to its guns, saying it was the only way to get China to come to the table.
Last September Perdue, along with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), traveled to China to meet with Vice Premier Liu He, China’s top trade negotiator, along with several other high-ranking government officials. Those talks centered around the ongoing trade negotiations and why equal access between the two powers was important. Following the trip Perdue told reporters, “Senator Daines and I traveled to China with one goal: to help reinforce President Trump’s efforts to level the playing field with all of our trading partners. We were there to emphasize that the President and his negotiating team have strong support from Congress.”
Fast forward to yesterday and Trump is inking the Phase One trade agreement with China, pressing the pause button on the trade war, securing some trade commitments and tariff drops but more importantly opening the door for broader negotiations going forward as part of a Phase Two agreement.
“President Trump’s trade strategy is clearly producing positive results. We already have new historic trade agreements with South Korea and Japan, as well as Mexico and Canada,” said Perdue Wednesday. “Now, this Phase One agreement with China will help American workers, farmers, and businesses gain equal access to Chinese markets and will keep up momentum as further negotiations continue. I applaud the President for continuing to fight for a level playing field, and congratulate negotiators and leadership in both the U.S. and China on this progress. While there is much left to do, this is a very encouraging first step in rebalancing our trade relationship with China.”
The deal is Trump’s second trade victory in the past month and a half, coming on the heels of the new United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement which was finalized in December. Perdue likewise lauded that agreement, saying it would “give the Trump Administration negotiating power in trade talks with China and other countries,” a prediction that apparently bore out this week.
