Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Mission to the World Trade Organization Dave Shark recently sat down to talk about the World Trade Organization. Dave works to generate trade opportunities for American businesses and workers. Watch the video with Dave, and read his remarks below.
"Hello, my name is David Shark and I am the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk will be in Geneva for the 7th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization beginning on November 30th.
The WTO is charged with maintaining a fair, open, rules-based system of international trade, creating an atmosphere in which American companies and workers can compete for customers all around the world.
The 153 WTO Member economies have committed to adhere to common principles and rules that promote the free flow of goods and services and the protection of intellectual property.
The WTO also has a trade dispute settlement mechanism to settle trade disputes equitably and fairly between countries.
When the international trade system functions smoothly, that permits American goods, services, and innovations to reach new customers around the world, creating jobs in communities around the United States.
It helps support communities like Sitka, Alaska, where 125 employees process Alaskan fish for shipment to Europe, Asia, and Canada., and Nashville, Tennessee, where nearly two dozen American workers produce pasta that will be sold to consumers around the world.
Here in Geneva, we work to generate trade opportunities for American businesses and workers like those I just described and others.
But trade doesn't just have the capacity to create jobs; it also has the potential to make goods and services more available for everyone.
The WTO encourages countries to keep tariffs low, which makes everything from food to clothing, to computers more affordable for consumers.
Simply put, trade can stretch individual pocketbooks as well as grow the national economy, raising the quality of life for millions of American families.
At this WTO Ministerial Conference, Ambassador Kirk will sit down with his counterparts to talk about how America can work with other member nations to ensure that trade is living up to its potential for workers and businesses around the world.
And the USTR office and officials in Geneva will continue that work throughout the new year."
