WASHINGTON - United States Trade
Representative Rob Portman today applauded the United States Senate for their
swift action on the nominations of Karan K. Bhatia and Susan C. Schwab as Deputy
United States Trade Representatives. The two deputies join Peter F. Allgeier,
the Geneva-based representative to the WTO, as USTR’s top policy advisors.
“Karan
and Susan will be making immediate and invaluable contributions as soon as they
are sworn in,” said Portman. “The President has tasked me with an
ambitious trade agenda and my deputies will provide key strategic assistance,
especially at this critical stage in the global trade negotiations. The World
Trade Organization meeting in Hong
Kong
is less than two months away and their vast experience will bring further
significant talent to our already skilled trade team.
“I
want to thank Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Chuck Grassley and Finance Committee Ranking Member Max Baucus for the emphasis
they have placed on moving this confirmation process along smoothly and quickly.
They recognized our need to have these key nominees in position as soon as
possible. Their prompt movement again demonstrates their commitment to the cause
of free trade.”
Bhatia
will lead U.S. efforts to open new markets
and enforce existing trade agreements in Asia and Africa. His responsibilities
will include leading trade efforts with
China which presents special
opportunities and challenges, continuing negotiations to secure free trade
agreements with Thailand and the Southern African
Customs Union and strengthening U.S. trade relations with the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and South Asian economies. In addition,
he will supervise USTR global negotiations on pharmaceuticals, labor and the
environment.
At the
Department of Transportation, Bhatia secured breakthrough aviation trade
liberalization agreements with China,
India,
Thailand,
Vietnam and
Indonesia and oversaw the Department’s
participation in various global and regional trade and transportation fora
including APEC. Prior to this, he served as the Deputy Under Secretary for
Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce from 2002 to 2003 and as the
Chief Counsel for the Commerce Department’s Export Administration from 2001 to
2002. Before joining the federal government, Bhatia worked at the law firm of
Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering from 1994 to 2001 where he was a member of the
firm’s international and corporate groups and the administrative partner for its
international aviation, defense and aerospace area; in academia as an adjunct
Professor at Georgetown University Law Center from 1999 to 2003; and as a
judicial clerk for a New York District Judge from 1993 to 1994.
Bhatia
received his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from
Princeton University, a Master’s degree in
International Relations from the London School of Economics and a Law Degree
from Columbia Law School.
Dr
Schwab will be responsible for supervising
U.S. trade negotiations with
Europe and the
Middle
East,
Latin
America and the
Caribbean,
Mexico, and
Canada. This portfolio includes
negotiations of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the Free Trade
Agreements with the Andean countries,
Panama, and the
United Arab
Emirates, the next steps on
Bahrain and
Oman and the implementation of the
Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). In addition,
she will supervise negotiations on accessions to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) and will lead the negotiations for services, investment and intellectual
property in the global trade agreement negotiations, commonly known as the Doha
Development Agenda. She will also oversee the Industry, Market Access and
Telecommunications and the Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison
departments.
Dr
Schwab began her career as an agricultural trade negotiator at USTR in
1977. In the past 25 years, she has worked at the US Embassy in Tokyo on
technology trade issues; for Senator John Danforth (R-MO) when he chaired the
Finance Subcommittee on International Trade; as Assistant Secretary of Commerce
and Director General of the US & Foreign Commercial Service in the
Administration of George Bush; and as Director of Corporate Business Development
for Motorola Inc. in Illinois. Between 1995 and 2004, when she became the
President and CEO of the University System of Maryland Foundation, she served as
Dean of the School of Public
Policy at the
University of Maryland,
College
Park.
Dr.
Schwab received her Bachelor’s degree in political economy from
Williams College and a Master’s degree in
Development Policy from Stanford University. She earned her Ph.D. at
the George Washington University School of Business and Public Management. Her
book, entitled Trade Offs: Negotiating the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness
Act, was published in 1994 by Harvard Business School Press.
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