United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk met with Ford Motor Company officials today as they unveiled the 2011 Explorer model. According to Ford executives, this new model will be exported to over 90 countries worldwide, helping to support 1,200 Ford jobs in the Chicago region, along with 600 new jobs in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. American efforts to increase exports through innovation will be a major component of achieving President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years.
“As auto products are America’s largest manufactured goods export category—accounting for 6 percent of U.S. exports—the success of our automakers is vitally important in helping us achieve this goal,” said Ambassador Kirk.
Ambassador Kirk is working to provide America’s auto industry and the workers who drive it with access to the global market. For example, President Obama has asked Ambassador Kirk to resolve the outstanding issues in the U.S.-Korea trade agreement, with a focus on making sure our automakers get better access to the Korean market. Once these issues are resolved, the U.S.-Korea trade agreement holds the economic potential to support up to 70,000 additional American jobs across many sectors. USTR is committed to helping put Americans back to work by winning market access and enforcing our trade agreements abroad.
