July 30, 2019

Castro Releases Podcast Episode on the State of Play for Trade

Sixteenth Episode of “Diplomatic Cable” features Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s (ASPI) Washington, D.C. office, and former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released a Diplomatic Cable episode with Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Washington, D.C. office. As former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Cutler worked on a range of U.S. Trade negotiations in the Asia-Pacific region, and was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. She was also the chief negotiator to the U.S. –Korea Free Trade Agreement. The episode centers on the argument that multilateral trade is not just an economic agreement but a geo-political necessity, critical to pushing back against China’s, and others, economic and military expansion.

“By taking a contrarian position with seemingly every country all at once, President Trump’s protectionist strategy has impacted America’s economic and global leadership, particularly on trade and tariffs,” said host Rep. Castro. “On this episode, I sit down with Wendy Cutler, an expert on the topic, to dissect the strategic missteps taken by this Administration on trade, the state of play on the issue, and her vision on the essential maneuvering needed to return the U.S. back to its vision of a global, interconnected economy.”

Wendy Cutler said on the episode: “We need to nurture a competitive, innovative climate, including strengthening our education, rebuilding our infrastructure, and making sure that we're making the best products, have the best ideas and the best intellectual property going forward. What the Administration has learned is that these trade negotiations are tough. You don't call all of the shots in them and you need to compromise. That's what the USMCA is about.”

The episode is available on iTunesSpotify, and Google Play.

Future episodes of the Diplomatic Cable will include discussions with many other experts, practitioners, Members of Congress and American citizens. Episodes will focus on repercussions of U.S. foreign policy in the 116th Congress, the consequences of a rising China, escalating tensions in the Middle East, the crisis in American diplomacy and development, cyber diplomacy, and many other issues.

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