Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, March 17: Tsering Dhongthog has been appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy and Negotiations at the United States Department of State, marking a historic milestone as the first Tibetan-American to hold a senior position within the department.
Serving in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, she will play a key role in shaping U.S. global trade policy and advancing negotiations on international economic agreements. Her responsibilities include overseeing coordination on global supply chains and engaging with major international institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In this capacity, she will work closely with partner countries and U.S. agencies to promote American economic and commercial interests abroad.
Prior to assuming this role, she served at the White House as Senior Advisor for International Trade at the National Economic Council and as Director for the International Economics Directorate at the National Security Council. Her extensive experience in trade policy also includes nine years at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, where she served as Deputy Assistant USTR for China and contributed to portfolios covering WTO and multilateral affairs, Southeast Asia and Pacific affairs, as well as assignments with the American Institute in Taiwan.
She further served as Senior Advisor and Bilateral Affairs Director in the State Department’s Office of China Coordination, reflecting her deep expertise in U.S.-China economic relations. She began her government career at the United States Department of Energy in its International Affairs Office, focusing on China, Japan, and South Korea, and later worked at the United States Department of Commerce in the Office of the Chief Counsel for International Commerce. Before entering public service, she gained experience in the private sector in international law and government affairs.
Academically, she holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was awarded the Fiske Fellowship for government service. She also earned a Master’s degree in China Studies from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Washington.
A native of Seattle, Washington, she has lived and travelled extensively across Asia and is fluent in Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese. Her appointment is widely seen as a significant achievement for the Tibetan diaspora and a testament to the growing representation of Tibetan-Americans in senior policy-making roles within the United States government.
