Motion Picture Association Statement on Confirmation of Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today confirmed Katherine Tai as the next U.S. Trade Representative. The following is a statementfrom Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association:
“Ambassador Katherine Tai understands the unique power of the film, television and streaming industry to drive America’s soft power and economic growth, and we believe she will make an excellent U.S. Trade Representative. She also fully appreciates that securing robust copyright protections overseas is fundamental to developing a worker-centric trade policy.
“America’s stories connect the world. Our creative workforce fosters a global community built on American values that fuels economic growth here at home. The industry, for example, registers a positive balance of trade in every major international market and runs a trade surplus larger than the telecommunications, transportation, insurance, and health-related services sectors. Taken together, the copyright industries employed 5.7 million Americans and brought back more than $218 billion in overseas sales during 2019.
“As USTR, Ambassador Tai will handle many issues important to creators. She will work to ensure we can compete fairly in international markets, require that our trading partners fully implement their obligations to the United States, and craft and enforce policies that are key to our industry. Additionally, in the midst of the global pandemic, the USTR can help the industry create jobs and rebuild our economy by supporting a strong and healthy legal global marketplace for digital content.
“We look forward to working with Ambassador Tai, and we applaud the Senate for a bipartisan vote confirming her for this key position.”
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About The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) serves as the global voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world.
Its member studios are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Netflix, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
Media Contact:
Tom Zigo, Motion Picture Association
Tom_Zigo@motionpictures.org
202.378.9110