Ambassador Demetrios Marantis gives remarks before the Washington
Council on International Trade
Following yesterday's speech before the Washington Council on International Trade, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis met with key stakeholders today, including union leaders and representatives of NGOs, to hear their views and address their concerns, particularly regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Ambassador Marantis hears concerns from stakeholders during a roundtable meeting at the
Labor Temple in Seattle, WA.
In a roundtable meeting hosted by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, Ambassador Marantis met with Washington State Senator Maralyn Chase and representatives from the Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, Witness for Peace, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, among others, to discuss issues of concern related to trade policy and the TPP agreement. This meeting again highlighted USTR's ongoing engagement with a broad range of stakeholders with diverse points of view. Ambassador Marantis pledged to continue the discussion, offering stakeholders the opportunity for in-depth briefings with subject matter experts from USTR's negotiating team.
Ambassador Marantis and Senator Maria Cantwell visit the FC Bloxom produce export
facility south of downtown Seattle, WA.
Ambassador Marantis also met with officials from the Gates Foundation and traveled to Everett, Washington to view the Boeing 787 production line and to meet with Boeing officials. Finally, Ambassador Marantis met with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to highlight the benefits of the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement experienced by Washington State thus far. Since the agreement's implementation on March 15 of this year, Washington State growers have reported significant increases in exports of produce to South Korea. Producers of cherries in Washington State, in particular, have reported a doubling of cherry exports to South Korea compared to the same period last year.
Ambassador Marantis at Boeing in Everett, WA after viewing the 787 production line.
