We’re at a critical juncture for trade policy .

When I began serving in Congress in 2007, the global and trade policy landscape looked much different. Under President George W. Bush, we increased the number of U.S. trade partner countries from three to 16. Since then, we’ve seen new agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea , and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement . At times, United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement negotiations seemed hopeless. But ultimately, we got stakeholders across the spectrum on board — some members of Congress even voted for a trade agreement for the first time.

Given the positive, bipartisan momentum we built during those years, I’m concerned by the current ambivalence toward trade policy. Trade can and should prioritize American products and workers. It can strengthen our economy and bolster our standing on the world stage. We don’t have to choose between global influence and domestic strength. Trade policy, when strategically negotiated, supports both.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration acknowledged the challenge of “keeping pace in a changing world.” My goal for the U.S. is never to settle for simply keeping pace. My goal for our country is to set the pace, and we are falling short every day.

The U.S. faces some major challenges. Inflation is still a serious problem, companies are struggling to hire and retain qualified talent, and our supply chains are too often unable to meet demand. We need to use every tool available to find solutions, including creating a pro-growth, pro-business environment through tax and regulatory relief; identifying and cultivating new trading partners to help reduce our dependency on bad actors; growing our workforce; and ensuring we have a diverse and resilient supply chain so U.S. producers can manufacture and move goods to consumers around the world.

That’s why policymakers need to stop thinking of trade policy and negotiations as relics of the past. Though times have changed, these changes require a strong and maybe even different approach, but the answer should never be to sit on the sidelines. Strategic trade negotiations are key to growing the economy of the greatest country in the world — and key to competing with China.

Here is the reality: We need a comprehensive approach to address China. We know the Chinese Communist Party is a bad actor. We cannot treat China as a developing economy, or even like a market economy. It is neither. The CCP plays by a different set of rules than the rest of the world, but the best counter to China is a strong America, with strong partnerships, demonstrating the value of free markets and rules-based trading.

Trade is about opening new markets for U.S. products, supporting jobs and higher wages in the process. It’s about strengthening new relationships with reliable and trustworthy partners around the world to ensure Americans everywhere can access quality goods at a reasonable cost. And it’s about implementing high standards around the world that reflect our priorities and address issues such as intellectual property theft, lax or nonexistent environmental standards, and the atrocity of forced labor.

When we assert ourselves as a nation, our leadership makes a positive difference in the world. We can engage on trade in such a way that counters China’s influence while keeping American jobs and industry top of mind. For example, through policies such as the Generalized System of Preferences, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, we can keep costs low for consumers without compromising domestic industry. And through the negotiation of new trade agreements, true, enforceable trade agreements that open markets, not ineffective frameworks and dialogues, we can ensure bad actors around the globe are held to account.

I realize these are goals we won’t accomplish overnight, but this work is important and cannot wait.

Adrian Smith represents Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he serves as ranking member of the subcommittee on trade. He is a member of the Task Force on Jobs and the Economy.