Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told reporters today he expects to take up a bill to grant President Barack Obama trade promotion authority “in the early part of this year,” although it may not be the first bill on the committee’s agenda, Washington Trade Daily has reported.

Hatch also said he plans to reintroduce the TPA bill he sponsored last year, is open to “improvements” and expects TPA to be part of a larger package that would include reauthorization of trade adjustment assistance, WTD said.