BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LEADS
U.S. INDUSTRY DELEGATION TO GENEVA, BRUSSELS
Chairs of U.S. Trade Advisory Committees to Meet with WTO, EU Officials
for the First Time Since Doha

Linda Conlin, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, will lead the Chairs of the U.S. Industry Sector and Functional Advisory Committees (ISACs and IFACs) to meet with World Trade Organization (WTO) and European Union (EU) officials to discuss trade policy issues affecting upcoming WTO trade negotiations. The delegation will be in Geneva and Brussels September 23-27, 2002.

"The U.S. continues to lead in the global trade negotiations launched in Doha last year," said Conlin. "With Trade Promotion Authority the Administration is empowered to continue with its trade liberalization efforts. This is a unique opportunity for the Chairs to discuss their priority issues directly with WTO ambassadors and EU officials. This visit also demonstrates the high interest in these negotiations in the U.S. private sector and the close attention it pays to our trade liberalization initiative. These industry voices and recommendations are vital to the formulation of our trading priorities. We appreciate their service."

The Industry Consultations Program is a Congressionally-mandated trade advisory committee system created to ensure that industry has a voice in formulating the trade policy of the United States. Advisors provide knowledge of foreign trade practices, trade promotion, and other trade-related matters.

The U.S. is one of the few member countries to the WTO with a fully-developed trade advisory committee system. These meetings with key WTO and EU officials provide other countries an opportunity to better understand how U.S. trade policy is formulated. The committees consist of 17 ISACs, four IFACs, and approximately 350 industry representatives who serve as advisors.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) jointly administer the Industry Consultations Program. The Committee of Chairs is co-chaired by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development and the Assistant USTR for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison. For more information on this program, please visit http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/icp/.

The Office of Trade Development (TD) at the U.S. Department of Commerce offers U.S. businesses resources and services for all stages of the exporting process. With industry-focused experts to provide strategic research and analysis, TD helps small and large U.S. businesses access the global marketplace. TD also administers 1-800-USA-TRADE, a nationwide hotline available to companies seeking government export assistance and counseling.

INDUSTRY CONSULTATIONS PROGRAM
FOR
TRADE POLICY MATTERS

Industry Sector Advisory Committees for Trade Policy Matters (ISACs)

(ISAC 1) Aerospace Equipment
(ISAC 2) Capital Goods
(ISAC 3) Chemicals and Allied Products
(ISAC 4) Consumer Goods
(ISAC 5) Electronics and Instrumentation
(ISAC 6) Energy
(ISAC 7) Ferrous Ores and Metals
(ISAC 8) Footwear, Leather, and Leather Products
(ISAC 9) Building Products and Other Materials
(ISAC 10) Lumber and Wood Products
(ISAC 11) Nonferrous Ores and Metals
(ISAC 12) Paper and Paper Products
(ISAC 13) Services
(ISAC 14) Small and Minority Business
(ISAC 15) Textiles and Apparel
(ISAC 16) Transportation, Construction, Mining, and Agricultural Equipment
(ISAC 17) Wholesaling and Retailing

Industry Functional Advisory Committee for Trade Policy Matters (IFACs)

(IFAC 1) Industry Functional Advisory Committee on Customs Matters
(IFAC 2) Industry Functional Advisory Committee on Standards
(IFAC 3) Industry Functional Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property Rights
(IFAC 4) Industry Functional Advisory Committee on Electronic Commerce