<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-cancels-study-impact-trade-under-served-communities-2025-02-05/" class="">https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-cancels-study-impact-trade-under-served-communities-2025-02-05/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 data-testid="Heading" class="text__medium__1kbOh text__heading_article__3WgTF text__text__1FZLe heading__base__2T28j heading__heading_article__2uc0a headline__headline__3kky1 text__dark-grey__3Ml43">Trump administration cancels study on impact of trade on under-served communities</h1><div class="info-content__info__2bKqs default-article-header__info-content__1YNDO"><div class="info-content__author-date__1Epi_"><div data-testid="Text" class="text__tag_label__6ajML text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__text__1FZLe text__medium__1kbOh"><span data-testid="Text" class="text__tag_label__6ajML text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__text__1FZLe text__regular__2N1Xr">By </span><a data-testid="Link" href="https://www.reuters.com/authors/andrea-shalal/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" rel="author" class="link__underline_on_hover__2zGL4 text__medium__1kbOh author-name__author__au-bT text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 link__link__3Ji6W text__tag_label__6ajML">Andrea Shalal</a></div><time data-testid="Body" datetime="2025-02-05T01:26:09Z" class="text__extra_small__1Mw6v body__base__22dCE text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__text__1FZLe body__extra_small_body__3QTYe text__regular__2N1Xr"><span class="date-line__date___kNbY">February 4, 2025</span><span class="date-line__date___kNbY">8:26 PM EST</span></time></div><div class="info-content__author-date__1Epi_"><time data-testid="Body" datetime="2025-02-05T01:26:09Z" class="text__extra_small__1Mw6v body__base__22dCE text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__text__1FZLe body__extra_small_body__3QTYe text__regular__2N1Xr"><span class="date-line__date___kNbY"><br class=""></span></time></div><div class="info-content__author-date__1Epi_"><time data-testid="Body" datetime="2025-02-05T01:26:09Z" class="text__extra_small__1Mw6v body__base__22dCE text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__text__1FZLe body__extra_small_body__3QTYe text__regular__2N1Xr"><span class="date-line__date___kNbY"><div data-testid="paragraph-0" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">WASHINGTON,
Feb 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday
said it had canceled an ongoing multi-year investigation into the impact
of trade policy on under-served communities and workers at the request
of the Trump administration.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-0" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-1" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">The
ITC, an independent, nonpartisan federal agency told witnesses that it
was canceling a hearing on the racial and diversity impacts of trade on
Wednesday after the U.S. Trade Representative's office withdrew its
request for the broader study. A copy of the email was seen by Reuters.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-1" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-1" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><div data-testid="paragraph-2" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">The
agency had planned a total of six virtual hearings on the issue,
including separate sessions on persistent poverty in rural areas and
urban areas, and had planned in-person conversations in five U.S. cities
from March to May.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-2" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-3" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">The ITC and White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-3" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-4" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">Since
taking office on Jan. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump has ended all
federal work on diversity, equity and inclusion programs with a series
of executive orders and memorandums.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-4" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-4" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><div data-testid="paragraph-5" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">Katherine
Tai, who served as U.S. Trade Representative under former President Joe
Biden, first requested the probe in January 2023, and the agency was
slated to complete its report by January 2026.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-5" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-6" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">Arthur
Stamoulis, with the Citizens Trade Campaign, which worked to oppose the
original North American Free Trade Agreement 30 years ago, said the
decision to halt the probe was disappointing but not surprising, given
other decisions made by the Trump administration since taking office.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-6" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-6" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><div data-testid="paragraph-7" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">The
study was intended to analyze how job losses caused by off-shoring and
other supply chain decisions were disproportionately borne by people of
color, important information for policymakers, he said.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-7" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-8" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">"Thus
far, we have not seen the Trump administration putting workers first
and its trade policy is being used to push a really hateful
anti-immigrant agenda," he said.</div><div data-testid="paragraph-8" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div><div data-testid="paragraph-9" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">Trump officials have argued that DEI initiatives waste money and often discriminate against white people.</div><div class="article-body__element__2p5pI"><div data-testid="Dianomi" lang="en" class=""><div class="dianomi_context" data-dianomi-context-id="2615" data-dianomi-complete="1" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen35251020_20="57463" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen35251020_20="57464" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time35251020_20="100" data-gtm-vis-has-fired35251020_20="1"><br class=""></div></div></div></div><div data-testid="paragraph-6" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr">=======</div><div data-testid="paragraph-6" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><div data-testid="paragraph-7" class="article-body__paragraph__2-BtD text__small__1kGq2 text__text__1FZLe body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr"><br class=""></div></div></div></div></span></time></div></div></div><div class=""><div dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://insidetrade.com/daily-news/ustr-withdraws-requests-itc-studies-trade-impacts-underserved" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/daily-news/ustr-withdraws-requests-itc-studies-trade-impacts-underserved&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw0oi-5bhetGZZbEF6UIH0Xh" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" class="">https://insidetrade.com/daily-<wbr class="">news/ustr-withdraws-requests-<wbr class="">itc-studies-trade-impacts-<wbr class="">underserved</a><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.9em; margin: 4px 0px; font-family: "Source Sans 3", sans-serif; line-height: 34px;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal;" class="">USTR withdraws requests for ITC studies on trade impacts on underserved</span></h1><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.885em; margin: 4px 0px; padding: 6px 0px; overflow: auto; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><div style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">By <a href="https://insidetrade.com/authors/Margaret-Spiegelman" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/authors/Margaret-Spiegelman&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw036cRdGJbKwBhER5asWImi" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;" class="">Margaret Spiegelman</a> / February 5, 2025 at 5:25 PM</div></div></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has withdrawn requests made under the Biden administration to the U.S. International Trade Commission for studies on the effects of trade policy on underserved communities and small businesses.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">The requests, issued by then-USTR Katherine Tai, reflected a Biden administration focus on making policies – including trade policy – more equitable. They included a series of <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/176027" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/node/176027&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw0pKzRJa5-gRowig14ycaan" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">follow-on probes</a> that Tai had requested after an earlier report by the commission revealed a lack of data on trade’s effects on underserved communities. In <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/181989" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/node/181989&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw1o-MbaEiUpZ7U9fH-ZCxuf" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">another request</a> issued late last year, Tai asked the commission to study the distributional effects of trade on U.S. micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, especially those led by women, members of a diaspora, people in rural communities and others in underserved and overburdened communities.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">Juan Millán, a longtime USTR official who has been serving as acting USTR since Trump came into office, said the agency was withdrawing its requests for the follow-on probes and the investigation related to MSMEs in <a href="https://insidetrade.com/sites/insidetrade.com/files/documents/2025/feb/wto2025_0080a.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/sites/insidetrade.com/files/documents/2025/feb/wto2025_0080a.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw21QpaK_Uos5tAHOk0D6DIu" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">a Feb. 4 letter</a> to ITC Chair Amy Karpel.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">The letter did not offer details on why USTR was withdrawing its requests. USTR and the ITC did not respond by press time to questions about the letter.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">USTR's action comes as other federal agencies move to eliminate a range of initiatives that might be seen as running afoul of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw02PIBDt6Xis-fkguIFda_G" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">President Trump's executive order</a> to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">In <a href="https://x.com/citizenstrade/status/1886906082489925910?s=61" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/citizenstrade/status/1886906082489925910?s%3D61&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw2SYLW-0OWLW3GlukPJtNGU" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">a social media post</a> on Tuesday, the progressive lobbying group Citizens Trade Campaign shared a partly redacted message from the ITC saying it was canceling <a href="https://insidetrade.com/sites/insidetrade.com/files/documents/2024/aug/wto2024_0909a.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insidetrade.com/sites/insidetrade.com/files/documents/2024/aug/wto2024_0909a.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1738938460266000&usg=AOvVaw3cYuw_EBJU3NPF8iWGMybV" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">a Feb. 5 roundtable</a> on race and ethnicity that had been scheduled in connection with one of the ITC investigations.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "PT Serif", serif; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;" class="">CTC’s Arthur Stamoulis told <em style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Inside U.S. Trade</em> in an email that the group in early December had inquired with ITC staff about whether the roundtables would continue under the incoming administration. Citing the ITC’s independence, staff encouraged CTC’s continued participation, according to Stamoulis. While one staffer acknowledged to the group that the administration had the ability to withdraw USTR's request, the staffer said the scheduled roundtables likely would not be affected, he added. -- <em style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Margaret Spiegelman</em> (<a href="mailto:mspiegelman@iwpnews.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 89, 178); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" class="">mspiegelman@<wbr class="">iwpnews.com</a>)</div><div class="">=====</div><div class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class=""><a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/3252861-trade-policy-study-halted-amid-diversity-tensions" class="">https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/3252861-trade-policy-study-halted-amid-diversity-tensions</a> </div><div class=""><h1 class="title">Trade Policy Study Halted Amid Diversity Tensions</h1> <h2 class="sub-title"><span style="font-weight: normal;" class=""><i class="">The
U.S. International Trade Commission, at the Trump administration's
request, has canceled an investigation into the impact of trade policy
on under-served communities and workers. Initiated by Katherine Tai
under the Biden administration, the study aimed to assess how trade
disparities affect communities of color. Critics express disappointment
over the halting of this important evaluation.</i></span></h2><div class=""><p class="">The U.S. International Trade Commission announced on Tuesday that it
has canceled a multi-year investigation into the impact of trade
policies on under-served communities. The suspension comes after the
Trump administration's directive, leading the U.S. Trade
Representative's office to withdraw its request for the study.</p><p class="">Scheduled
virtual hearings and in-person sessions in five cities were part of the
now-canceled investigation intended to explore racial and regional
economic disparities. Initiated by Katherine Tai during Joe Biden's
presidency, the study aimed to complete its report by January 2026.</p><p class="">Critics,
including Arthur Stamoulis from the Citizens Trade Campaign, condemned
the decision. Stamoulis noted the significance of understanding
trade-induced job losses for policymakers, especially those affecting
communities of color. The Trump administration's stance has been
perceived as prioritizing an anti-immigrant agenda over workers'
welfare.</p></div></div><div class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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