The National Pork Producers Council is leading an ad hoc coalition of 46 food and agricultural organizations in strong support for Dr. Isi Siddiqui to be the chief agricultural trade negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Siddiqui's nomination is to be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.
In a letter to Senators Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman and ranking member of the committee, the groups urged the committee to act on Siddiqui's nomination as soon as possible. They say this is necessary to achieve progress on critical agricultural trade issues of concern.
The coalition says Siddiqui's previous experience in trade negotiations as senior trade adviser to the Secretary of Agriculture will be critical to achieving U.S. trade objectives for agriculture in the World Trade Organization Doha Round of negotiations and in other future trade agreements.
Siddiqui served for 28 years with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He also has served in USDA as deputy undersecretary and as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs and as senior trade adviser to then-Secretary Dan Glickman. He also worked with USTR and represented USDA on bilateral, regional and multilateral agricultural trade negotiations.
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