Deputy United States Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro welcomed nine high school students to her office yesterday to discuss trade policy. The students are juniors and seniors from Friends Select School in Philadelphia, where Ambassador Sapiro attended high school. They are visiting Washington on a research trip and have been studying various aspects of globalization and economics.
The students asked questions about techniques for negotiating trade agreements, the effects the financial crisis has had on our economy and our exports, how tariff and non-tariff barriers can obstruct trade, and our policy towards China. One student, who had focused her research on the earthquake in Haiti, asked what USTR was doing to help that country recover. Ambassador Sapiro mentioned the importance of recently-introduced legislation in the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees to expand and extend trade benefits available to Haiti; and also explained the Plus One for Haiti program, which encourages U.S. brands and retailers to work toward sourcing one percent of their total apparel production from Haiti.
While the students learned about U.S. trade policy, Ambassador Sapiro learned something too – that her high school math teacher is still teaching at Friends Select School. “Say hello to Teacher Ralph for me,” Ambassador Sapiro asked, referring to Ralph Reinwald. The students promised they would.
Friends Select School is an independent college-preparatory school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
