THE ASIAN MARKETPLACE:

DRIVING AMERICA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH

Ambassador Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative

Asian nations remain firmly in the lead of the global economic recovery. International Monetary Fund projections suggest regional economies will grow more rapidly over the next five years. Recognizing this dynamism, the leaders of the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum set forth concrete steps to promote deeper regional economic integration, creating an expansive regional free-trade zone in coming years. APEC remains central to U.S. economic engagement in the region. APEC members today purchase 58 percent of US goods and services and comprise a market of over 2.7 billion consumers.

Join us for this exclusive session with U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk, who will outline U.S. strategy for continued economic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, including our priorities as the host nation of the APEC world leader’s summit in November.

As United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Kirk is a member of President Obama's Cabinet and serves as the President's principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues. Ambassador Kirk was nominated to be United States Trade Representative by President Barack Obama and was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 18, 2009. Kirk draws upon more than 25 years of diverse legislative and economic experience on local, state and federal levels. He was the first African American mayor of Dallas from 1995 - 2001 and previously served as Texas Secretary of State under Governor Ann Richards. Prior to joining USTR, Kirk was a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Part of the APEC 2011 National Road Show Program, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Government and the APEC 2011 Host Committee