Houston Chronicle Runs Brian Pomper Op-Ed on the Role of Int’l Trade in Texas

“Look to international trade to boost the Texas economy,” an op-ed by Akin Gump public law and policy practice co-head Brian Pomper, has been published by Houston Chronicle.

Pomper, who formerly served as chief international trade counsel to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), writes that Texas’ “outsize role in international trade”—3.5 million Texas jobs and 33 percent of the state’s GDP is tied to trade, as of 2019—can help Texas rebuild after COVID-19 and weather-driven disaster.

The piece covers the trade role of, and prospects for, the energy sector, particularly Texas’ trade relationship with Mexico, the state’s largest trading partner. Pomper writes that, “when the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force last July, many predicted energy exports to Mexico would only grow—to the benefit of Texas’ workers and the state’s economy.” He notes, however, that Mexico has been giving preference to its state-owned petroleum company, a situation he urges the Biden administration to address.

Pomper also spotlights the tech sector as one that has seen heavy incoming investment for Texas, creating jobs “at a breakneck pace.” He adds that the growth of the tech sector in Texas depends on “robust intellectual property protections and strong enforcement of USMCA,” as does growth of the biopharmaceutical industry in Texas.

He closes by noting that it has been a tough year for Texas, adding, “But thanks in no small part to international trade, the state is on track to emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. Ensuring that trading partners treat local companies fairly will drive Texas’ economy forward.”

To read the full piece, click here.