Industry advisors: their role in Brussels

Business America, Jan 14, 1991 by J. Michael Farren

Industry Advisors: Their Role in Brussels

The U.S. delegation differed from most of the other delegations to the Brussels Ministerial on the Uruguay Round: it was composed not only of trade and economic policy officials, but a broadly representative group from our private sector advisory system. The private sector delegation included policy level advisors and technical advisors from the agricultural, manufacturing, and service sectors who have lent firsthand practical experience and advice to the development of U.S. positions throughout the last four years of Uruguay Round negotiations.

The industry representatives on the delegation are active participants in the Industry Consultations Program, jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative. This Congressionally-mandated program is designed to provide trade policy decisionmakers with cousel on various trade initiatives. Under the program, 20 committees, ISACs, and IFACs (Industry Sector and Industry Functional Advisory Committees), have been established to represent all U.S. industry sectors and address the cross-cutting issues of intellectual property rights, customs valuation, and standards. Close consultation throughout the Uruguay Round negotiations has been critical to assuring industry-wide participation in the development of U.S. negotiating positions.

Industry advisors participated in a full agenda of events in Brussels, including daily briefings on developments in the negotiations by U.S. trade officials as well as bilateral meetings with foreign trade officials and foreign private sector advisors. They kicked off their stay in Brussels by meeting with senior trade officials and private sector advisors from Canada to emphasize the key U.S. interests in the Round. The highlight of their visit took place on Dec. 3, as they convened at a lunch hosted by Secretary of Commerce Mosbacher and attended by top foreign trade officials. Four different issues--subsidies/antidumping, market access, services, and intellectual property protection--were highlighted at the luncheon to enable the advisors to elicit the positions of foreign delegations and to hammer home their primary interests in regard to each of these issues.

The next day, the advisors were given an additional opportunity to deliver their positions to representatives from the private sector in the European Community, as they met with members of the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE). Some also found time to squeeze in a dinner with the members of the EC Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce, which is headquartered in Belgium and exists to promote trade and understanding between American companies and foreign governments.

Although the formal program for the private sector advisors was scheduled to conclude on Monday evening, the advisors maintained high visibility in Brussels throughout the remainder of the week. They remained a constant presence as they delivered the U.S. position on key issues to their foreign counterparts and to foreign government officials. U.S. negotiators also took full advantage of the advisors by relying on them for guidance as the negotiations unfolded. The private sector advisors were truly full partners in the U.S. negotiating team.

Many observers, particularly foreign delegations and trade negotiators, noted the high degree of support offered the U.S. negotiators by the private sector advisors. Several stated that the negotiations would proceed at a much faster clip if the foreign governments could depend on the same degree of advice and support from their private sectors.

The reliance of the United States on our private sector advisors will continue to be an integral part of our approach to the Uruguay Round, when and if it is resumed. This will be the case in reaching agreements, and in the development of measures to implement and monitor the ultimate results of the negotiations. As part of their legislative mandate, each ISAC and IFAC must prepare a report to Congress which evaluates the results of the Round and provides guidance for possible implementing legislation.