U.S. trade issues with China will be addressed through the use of the "entity list" and other tools available that were used by the former Trump administration, President Joe Biden's nominee for Commerce secretary nominee said.

'Entity List' of Possible Use

In her confirmation hearing which was done remotely on Wednesday, Gina Raimondo said she intends to "use" either "tariffs or countervailing duties" and the "entity list" in addressing China's trade practices.

The entity list tracks people, companies and agencies and governments that are commercially blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security for national security or related reasons.

Raimondo, who is currently Rhode Island governor, said she is looking to use "all those tools to the fullest extent possible," marking another confirmation from the Biden cabinet of a firm response on China.

Other cabinet members who testified in the U.S. Senate last week also hinted on a firm stance in the country's response to China.

Will Huawei Still be on Raimondo's List?

During her Senate testimony, Raimondo was questioned about how she would address the previous administration's decisions against Chinese tech company Huawei.

Raimondo did not specify which actions she would take or whether she would keep a Trump administration decision to keep Chinese telecom company Huawei on the entity list.

On the other hand, Raimondo said she would seek consultation on the matter and will later come up with an assessment that will be based solely on U.S. national security.

The Trump administration announced an export ban on Huawei during the heated China-U.S. trade war. 

Regarding 2020 Census

Aside from trade-related questions, Raimondo also had to answer queries on the 2020 Census, which was a highly-controversial topic since Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham stepped down from his post.

The Democrat said she believes the census should be depoliticized. On the other hand, she did not provide specific recommendations on how accuracy can be improved at the agency.

Raimondo said that once she is confirmed as the Commerce secretary, she will "rely on the experts." She said that statisticians and other experts at the Census Bureau are "top notch."

Problems with the 2020 Census triggered public concerns after the Bureau failed to submit the numbers in time. The delay was affected by Trump's attempts to remove undocumented immigrants residing in the country from the 2020 count.

Response to Committee Questionnaire

Last week, Raimondo submitted a written response to a committee questionnaire that required her to answer which three main challenges the Department of Commerce is currently faced with.

Raimondo said the three main issues are the economic damage from the pandemic, the "structural inequity" in the American economy, and the matter of unfair competition for U.S. companies and workers in the global stage.

Before being nominated by Biden, Raimondo became the first woman governor of Rhode Island. She has been serving as the state's governor since 2015.