On Monday, May 17, Deputy USTR Demetrios Marantis was in California to continue the Obama Administration’s 50-state domestic outreach strategy on Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. USTR is reaching out to stakeholders around the country to help shape USTR’s negotiating objectives in the eight-country TPP trade negotiations in the Asia-Pacific. California exports over $80 billion in goods to the Asia-Pacific, nearly 70 percent of its total exports.
Ambassador Marantis began the day in San Ramon, California at an event hosted by Congressman Jerry McNerney. The event attracted local small- and medium-sized enterprises in a number of sectors. Following a short presentation on the opportunities for California businesses and workers in the TPP, Ambassador Marantis discussed intellectual property protection in China, the interests and priorities of California businesses, and labor and environment protections.
Ambassador Marantis talks with Congressman Jerry McNerney
Later in the afternoon, Ambassador Marantis gave a keynote address to the CalChamber’s International Forum in Sacramento, focusing on the United States’ plans to host the 21 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum economies in 2011. Before agriculture, services, and technology goods exporters, he outlined the Administration’s trade and investment priorities for 2011, including ways to promote sustainable and greener growth, and goals to reduce red tape and non-tariff barriers in the world’s most dynamic region.
Finally, Ambassador Marantis continued TPP outreach at an agriculture roundtable event hosted by Congressman Wally Herger’s office. In a lively discussion with producers of wine, olive oil, canned peach, prune, walnut, and rice , he heard about industry sensitivities, export opportunities, competition from global agriculture producers, and other issues. California is the United States’ largest agriculture producer, with nearly two-thirds of exports destined for the Asia-Pacific.
