Wheat industry statement in support of new USTR
appointment
Issued by Wheat Export Trade Education Committee, U.S.
Wheat Associates, and National Association of Wheat Growers
April 18, 2006
President George W. Bush has nominated Rob Portman, a former member of Congress
and current U.S. Trade Representative, as the new director of the White House
Office of Management and Budget. Assuming the leadership of USTR will be
Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, who was confirmed unanimously by the United States
Senate as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative in November 2005.
The wheat industry strongly supports Ambassador Schwab's nomination. It is vital
that she lead the U.S. team in World Trade Organization negotiations with the
full faith and support of American agriculture and business, especially as the
WTO enters a very critical phase of the trade talks. The Ambassador's lengthy
experience in international affairs and trade will be called upon to an
extraordinary degree in the coming weeks and months. The U.S. wheat industry
looks forward to working with her and her colleagues, as we have since the
beginning of the negotiations, to bring the trade talks to a successful
conclusion. We also look forward to providing Ambassador Schwab with the wheat
perspective on current and future free trade agreements.
The wheat industry offers our congratulations to Ambassador Portman on his move
to OMB. We thank him for his tireless efforts on the United States agenda in
both the WTO negotiations and in a new series of free trade agreements. We
understand the President's desire to have someone with his credentials and
credibility in the White House, leading the budget efforts, and wish him well in
this new endeavor.
for more information, contact:
Barbara Spangler, executive director, WETEC, 202-547-2004
Dawn Forsythe, public affairs director, USW, 202-463-0999
Melissa George, communications director, NAWG, 202-547-7800
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