Bush to Appoint NCBA President Wythe Willey to Trade Advisory Committee

Wythe Willey, NCBA president and cattle producer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be appointed by President Bush to serve on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN), according to a recent White House announcement.  Bush announced his intentions to appoint Willey, along with 31 additional individuals, to the committee last week.  Each will serve a two-year term.

"Wythe will be at the epicenter for U.S. trade strategy and will help determine what these trade agreements are going to look like at the end of the day," says Chandler Keys, NCBA's vice president of Government Affairs.  "Of the 32 members, he is the only one from the agriculture sector, and cattlemen and farmers will benefit greatly from his involvement."

ACTPN, the principal trade advisory committee of the U.S., was established by Congress under the Trade Act of 1974.  ACTPN will advise U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick on objectives and bargaining positions before entering into a trade agreement, the operation of a trade agreement once entered into, and other matters arising in connection with any U.S. trade policy.  Members represent key sectors of the economy including labor, industry, agriculture, small business, service industries, retailer and consumer interests which are broadly affected by trade.

The White House announcement says, "The President has outlined an ambitious trade agenda for the United States which will expand economic growth and benefit America's businesses, farmers, employers and consumers."  One of the first orders of business in January 2003 will be discussion on the free trade agreements with Chile and Singapore.