Madison, Wisconsin – United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk is in Wisconsin to meet with local dairy farmers and business leaders to discuss the importance of agriculture exports and positive international trade relationships. Today, Ambassador Kirk will tour the Foremost Farms USA mozzarella cheese production plant, and then he will hold a roundtable discussion on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and tour the family-owned and operated Valley View Dairy Farm in Richland Center, Wisconsin. Next, Ambassador Kirk will head to a roundtable discussion with Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce Aaron Olver, Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen and leaders from local businesses to discuss the importance of agriculture and trade. While in Madison, Ambassador Kirk will also meet with Governor Jim Doyle.
On Friday, Ambassador Kirk will participate in a roundtable discussion with U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) to discuss the President’s trade agenda. Following the roundtable, he will meet with local labor leaders to discuss job growth in Wisconsin, trade and other issues.
About 6,400 Wisconsin businesses export products to the world, and 5,600 of those are small- or medium-sized firms with fewer than 500 employees. Wisconsin’s leading export category is machinery manufactures, which accounted for $4.9 billion in exports in 2009. Other top exports included computers and electronic products, worth $2.9 billion, and transportation equipment, worth $1.5 billion – all of them made by Wisconsin workers, helping to sustain and create good-paying jobs even in the middle of an economic crisis.
