Dr. Robert Ahern serves as the Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy. In this role, Dr. Ahern oversees international trade negotiations on all agricultural trade matters, including market access, domestic support, tariffs, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) matters, and technical barriers to trade. Most recently, Dr. Ahern led the U.S. Delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee), coordinated USTR positions for the International SPS Standard Setting Bodies, led USTR engagement on agricultural biotechnology, and managed agricultural trade issues in the European Union, among other duties.
Prior to joining USTR, Dr. Ahern led the Agricultural Health and Food Safety Program at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in San Jose, Costa Rica. In this role, he helped IICA’s thirty-two Member Countries implement the WTO SPS Agreement and participate actively and effectively in international SPS standard setting activities. Dr. Ahern started his Federal career with United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, where he served in a variety of roles, including risk analyst and trade specialist. He earned his PhD in entomology at the University of Maryland and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala.
