Sarah Ellerman will work as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said on June 23. Ambassador Katherine Tai said, “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to deepening our economic engagement throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Sarah has played an essential role in delivering on that vision.”
“As USTR’s chief negotiator for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, she is developing an ambitious framework that will strengthen our ties to a dynamic and critical region. I congratulate Sarah on today’s announcement and am excited for her to continue representing our office throughout Southeast Asia,” Tai said, according to a press release issued on June 23.
According to the press release, Ellerman, who has over 20 years of experience in creating and executing trade policy, has held a number of significant positions at USTR, most recently serving as Acting Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Ellerman will remain the chief negotiator for Pillar I of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
The Southeast Asia and the Pacific Office of USTR aims to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties with Southeast Asian nations as well as those with Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, according to the press release. Through activities with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the office also strives to enhance regional relations. Over the course of her career, Ellerman has created and implemented trade policies in the fields of manufacturing, services and investment in markets all over the world. She was the deputy assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific before taking on her current role.
Ellerman joined USTR’s Office of Services & Investment in 2014, where she led negotiation and implementation of trade agreements relating to financial services, including the U.S. – Mexico – Canada Agreement, U.S. – Japan Digital Trade Agreement, U.S. and China Economic and Trade Agreement, U.S.- UK Covered Agreement, the U.S. – EU Covered Agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to the release.
She came to USTR from the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she held a variety of roles in the International Trade Administration working on trade remedy issues, including as senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, according to the release. Ms. Ellerman was selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce to participate in the Brookings Institution’s Legis Congressional Fellowship program, where she worked on legislation related to trade and manufacturing matters for a U.S. Senator. Ellerman previously served as First Secretary in the Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. She is a graduate of Hollins College.
