U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT B. ZOELLICK TO SPEAK AT EX-IM BANK ANNUAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22
U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick, the Bush Administration's top trade policy official and chief trade negotiator, will discuss the outlook for U.S. trade in today's competitive, and challenging, global economy at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) Annual Conference on Tuesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
As the official export credit agency of the United States, Ex-Im Bank helps finance the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging markets throughout the world, by providing guarantees, insurance, and loans. In fiscal year 2002, Ex-Im Bank supported nearly $13 billion of U.S. exports worldwide.
In the two years since Zoellick became the 13th U.S. trade representative, he has helped launch a new round of global trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Doha in 2001; helped win Congressional approval for the Trade Act of 2002, which included new trade promotion authority; and helped to complete negotiations to bring China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, the Bush Administration has concluded free trade agreements (FTA) with Chile and Singapore and launched FTA negotiations with Morocco; five central American countries; five countries in the South African Customs Union; and Australia. Another top priority for the Administration is the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and the United States has recently assumed the co-chairmanship of the FTAA process.
Zoellick served in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush as under secretary of state for economic and agricultural affairs, leading negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Uruguay Round, and the launch of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. After leaving government service in 1993, Zoellick became executive vice president of Fannie Mae, and taught at the U.S. Naval Academy and Harvard University, where he is an alumnus of both the law school and the Kennedy School.
Ex-Im Bank's two-day conference on April 22 and 23 will include specialized workshops, speeches, and exhibits on export finance and trade to help U.S. exporters expand their sales to foreign markets.
Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal government agency that helps finance the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging markets, by providing loans, guarantees and export credit insurance. In fiscal year 2002, Ex-Im Bank authorized financing to support $13 billion of U.S. exports worldwide.