U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced the appointment of Won Koo, professor and director of the Center for Agriculture Policy and Trade Studies, to the USDA and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade.

USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative rely on the advice and counsel committees provide on trade issues. With U.S. exports of food and agricultural products expected to reach the second-highest level ever this fiscal year, trade contributes substantially to a healthy agricultural economy. The advisory committee provides policy advice on agricultural trade issues to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative. The committee plays a significant role in the trade policy process, providing advice on negotiating objectives and strategies and on other matters related to the development and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policies. “The input and advice received from the committee members is critically important as we work to carry out President Obama’s ambitious trade agenda,” Kirk said.

Congress established the advisory committee system in 1974 to ensure U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative jointly manage the committees. Koo’s appointment to the advisory committee became effective June 15 and will expire June 15, 2016. 

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