By Roya Stephens, Office of Public and Media Affairs
USTR’s Work in Trade and Development Facilitates Economic Growth in the Developing World and Supports Jobs and Competitive Exports at Home
On Tuesday, policy staff from the Office of the United States Trade Representative met with law students from John Marshall Law School to discuss the role of USTR in promoting trade with developing countries. Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Bill Jackson, Senior Policy Advisor for Trade and Development and Women’s Issues Mary Ryckman, and World Trade Organization (WTO) and Multilateral Affairs Director for Trade Remedies Victor Mroczka participated in the dialogue. They spoke about the important role USTR plays in representing the United States at the WTO as well as in implementing preference programs and other activities to facilitate trade with developing countries. The benefits of USTR’s work in trade and development are two-fold. Not only do these programs promote sustainable industries and increased market opportunities that raise standards of living and boost growth in developing countries, but they also promote the import of goods and export of U.S. goods, both of which support American jobs and keep American businesses competitive.
USTR policy staff discuss the benefits of trade for developing countries.
The panel discussed some of the challenges developing and least developed countries face as they seek to increase trade and investment. They also described some of the trade preference programs the U.S. Trade Representative administers to help developing countries make the most of international trade opportunities, including the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). These programs offer preferential duty-free treatment for thousands of products from over 100 designated countries and territories throughout the world.
To learn more about the Generalized System of Preferences, WTO and Multilateral Affairs, and the role of USTR in Trade and Development, please click on the respective links.
