Shaheen, Pappas Join Ambassador Katherine Tai for Roundtable Discussion with New Hampshire Businesses in Portsmouth
Roundtable discussion with Granite State District Export Council
(Portsmouth, NH) – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and the Granite State District Export Council for a roundtable discussion to hear from New Hampshire businesses engaged in the export market on how they use trade agreements and programs to help their businesses succeed. The representatives also discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act support New Hampshire’s workers and small businesses.
“Small businesses are the heart of New Hampshire, and trade is integral to the success of many of them. I was pleased to welcome United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai to the Granite State this afternoon to meet with New Hampshire exporters and discuss how trade policy impacts our business community,” said Senator Shaheen. “As Chair of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ll continue to work closely with Ambassador Tai to make sure that USTR has the resources and tools it needs to support U.S. trade priorities and help small- and medium-sized businesses across New Hampshire.”
“I was glad to welcome United States Trade Representative Ambassador Tai to New Hampshire today to hear from our businesses about the agreements and programs that help them reach new markets and succeed, because supporting New Hampshire’s exporters boosts our economy,” said Representative Pappas. “I’ll always fight to support our small businesses, and especially our rural small businesses that are looking to sell their products abroad.”
“I am thrilled to be in New Hampshire to talk about how we’re working with our partners in Congress like Congressman Pappas and Senator Shaheen to deliver concrete results for workers and businesses in New Hampshire,” said United States Trade Representative Ambassador Tai. “From the Inflation Reduction Act to the CHIPS and Science Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are lowering costs for New Hampshire consumers, investing in our workers and businesses, and ensuring the United States maintains its global competitive edge for years to come.”
Senator Shaheen has long supported trade agreements and programs that increase opportunities and growth for New Hampshire businesses. Shaheen was the first New Hampshire Governor to lead trade missions outside of North America and has prioritized efforts in Congress to help small businesses boost their exports. Senator Shaheen helped create the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) as a pilot program in 2010 to help small businesses enter new markets, access export financing, and attend trade missions. The program was fully authorized by Senator Shaheen’s small business trade amendment, which was signed into law in 2016. Senator Shaheen also strongly opposed the Trump Administration’s Section 232 tariffs on allies in Canada and Europe, and was instrumental in securing an exclusion process for businesses to apply for relief from the Section 301 tariffs. Senator Shaheen is Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds USTR.
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