President Joe Biden this week nominated Christopher Wilson to be Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The position has not been filled since its creation in 2015.

Wilson has been with the USTR for two decades, serving as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Innovation and Intellectual Property (2006-2008) and several Assistant U.S. Trade Representative positions. He currently serves as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, South and Central Asia.

The Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator position was created in 2015 as part of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. The functions of the position include “to conduct trade negotiations and to enforce trade agreements relating to United States intellectual property and to take appropriate actions to address acts, policies, and practices of foreign governments that have a significant adverse impact on the value of United States innovation.”

Wilson will report to Biden nominee Katherine Tai, who was sworn in as USTR Ambassador in March 2021.