McLean, Va. – U.S. Apple Association (USApple) President and Chief Executive Officer Kraig R. Naasz has been appointed to represent the apple industry’s international trade interests on the U.S. Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC). Naasz will serve on the advisory committee for fruits and vegetables, offering detailed trade policy advice along with other industry leaders to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick.

“The in-depth knowledge and broad experience of these appointees will provide invaluable advice and counsel during a very critical period in the trade future of the agriculture and food industry,” said Secretary Veneman in announcing the administration’s appointments Sept. 17. “We have a most ambitious trade agenda already before us – the WTO [World Trade Organization] negotiations, a Free Trade of the Americas Agreement, and several bilateral undertakings.”

“Our industry competes for business with apple growers from around the world, some of whom are supported by their governments and others who enjoy more favorable access to the markets we both seek to capture,” said Naasz. “Confronted with stagnant domestic consumption, our industry must maintain—and, ideally, increase—our exports to foreign markets to remain profitable.”

“America needs a healthy farm economy if we are going to build on our prosperity and competitiveness,” said Ambassador Zoellick. “We need to open more overseas markets for U.S. farm exports. The expertise provided by the committees is critical as we embark on the next round of global trade negotiations. The work of the advisory committees helps to ensure that we remain in touch and on track with fundamental agricultural issues, concerns and priorities.

ATAC provides advice to the administration on trade policy objectives regarding agricultural issues, providing the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative with information and advice on negotiating objectives, bargaining positions and other matters related to developing, implementing and administering U.S. agricultural trade policy. ATAC members must have commodity expertise, and are recognized as leaders in their field with experience in trade matters.

Naasz, who served on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) during the previous administration, has led the apple industry’s national trade association since June 1998. As the former vice president for international trade for the Northwest Horticultural Council, Naasz worked for six years to eliminate trade barriers, open new markets and maintain access to existing markets for apples, pears and cherries. Previously, he worked for eight years on Capitol Hill on international trade policy and agricultural issues.

“Kraig’s diverse and considerable experience on agricultural trade issues provides him with an extremely well informed and balanced view of agricultural trade policy,” wrote U.S. Reps. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.), Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) and George Nethercutt (R-Wash.) in recommending Naasz for the advisory committee appointment in a July 5, 2001, letter to Secretary Veneman and Ambassador Zoellick. “He is a staunch supporter of efforts to access foreign markets of benefit to America’s farmers and U.S. agricultural interests.”

Trade issues are increasingly important to the U.S. apple industry, which exports on average nearly one-fourth of its domestic apple production. Leading export markets for U.S. apples include Taiwan, Mexico and Canada among 45 other countries around the world.

Currently, imported fresh apples enter the United States duty-free; whereas U.S. apple exports to China, Taiwan and India face duties of 30 percent, 40 percent and 45 percent, respectively. Still other countries, such as Australia, South Africa and South Korea, presently prohibit imports of U.S. apples due to alleged phytosanitary claims concerning the potential introduction of pests or plant diseases.

ATAC is part of an advisory committee structure created by Congress in 1974 to ensure that trade policy and trade negotiation objectives adequately reflect U.S. agricultural, commercial and economic interests.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.