Richardson Nomination May Be Key To Protecting NAFTA

Bill Richardson As discouraged as I am about the Obama administration’s on-the-record negativity about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the one spark of hope is the nomination of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Secretary of Commerce.  Perhaps due to Richardson’s proximity to Mexico, he has been one of the most prominent Democratic supporters of NAFTA, and one of the rare pro-free trade Democrats. He is generally recognized as the only former Democratic presidential candidate who did not call for a renegotiation of the free trade agreement. NAFTA is by far the most important piece of trade legislation ever passed by Congress. The benefits of NAFTA have been consolidating. Since 2000 our deficit on manufactured goods and agricultural products with Canada and Mexico... Read More

The Other Big Three

Neal Asbury While Capitol Hill struggles with an aid package to bail out the Big 3 car manufacturers, there’s another “Big 3” that need attention: the Colombia, South Korea and Panama free trade agreements that are languishing in Congress. By sitting on the passage of these three important trade agreements, the U.S. economy is being deprived of thousands of U.S. jobs and delaying the drop in tariffs that could be saving billions of dollars for U.S. exporters. On face value, the two “Big 3s” doesn’t seem to be related.  Look further and you’ll find that the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA) in particular, has special relevance to the discussion. The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA) was signed June 30, 2007. Its ratification today is held hostage by Democrats... Read More

Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez Warns That Inactivity on Pending Trade Agreements Puts U.S. at Trade Disadvantage

Carlos M. Gutierrez (Coral Gables, FL, November 13) – Appearing on The Neal Asbury Show on 880 WZAB-AM, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez warned listeners that while trade agreements are pending before Congress, other countries are passing trade agreements that give their exporters a competitive advantage while putting U.S. exporters at a distinct disadvantage.  The end result of delaying the passing of trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama, is the loss of millions of American jobs. Secretary Gutierrez noted that even when the U.S. does pass trade agreements such as The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and The Dominican Republic/Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), they don’t receive the support they deserve. As an example,... Read More

Wall Street Journal – It’s Hard to Say the Republicans Played in Midfield

Kudos to Fred Barnes for his remarks about the Central America-Dominican Republic-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in “We Could Be In for a Lurch to the Left,” (op-ed, Nov. 4), which rightfully takes umbrage with those who do not support this important trade agreement. By its very nature Cafta is designed to eliminate tariffs and trade barriers and expand regional opportunities for the workers, manufacturers, consumers, farmers, ranchers and service providers of all the countries. In fact, Cafta eliminates tariffs on more than 80% of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial products. Eighty percent of Cafta imports already enter the U.S. duty-free. It’s shortsighted for labor or anyone in Congress not to recognize the benefits of Cafta to the U.S. economy. Neal Asbury CEO, Greenfield... Read More

Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Sandy K. Baruah to Appear December 4th On The Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM

On Thursday, December 4th, The Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Sandy K. Baruah will appear live during The Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM880 between 11:00 A.M. until Noon. Asbury, the show’s host and Small Business Administration’s United States National Champion Exporter of the Year will be exploring “The SBA’s Support For Increasing American Exports” with Administrator Baruah. Sandy K. Baruah was designated Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration on August 15, 2008. Baruah, who is pending Senate confirmation as SBA Administrator, has served in the Bush Administration since 2001. Prior to SBA, he was the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the Department of Commerce, and comes to SBA with a keen understanding in how to promote... Read More

John Manzella, a strategic communications consultant and global analyst

John Manzella John Manzella is a strategic communications consultant and global analyst, as well as a world-recognized author and speaker on international trade and policy, economic growth, China and globalization. He focuses on shaping opinions, advocating positions to Members of Congress, and providing strategic analysis to several of the world’s largest corporations, associations and government agencies. John has written several books, including his most recent entitled Grasping Globalization: Its Impact and Your Corporate Response, and more than 600 articles. He has been featured on television, radio and in print, includingThe Wall Street Journal, and his work has appeared in The New York Times. His opinion pieces are distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services to over... Read More

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez to Appear November 13th On The Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM

Carlos M. Gutierrez Carlos M. Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the voice of business in government. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Secretary Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush’s economic team. In nominating Mr. Gutierrez, President Bush said, “He understands the world of business, from the first rung on the ladder to the very top. He knows exactly what it takes to help American businesses grow and to create jobs.” A top priority for Secretary Gutierrez is prying open global markets for U.S. companies so they can continue innovating and competing to build a stronger American economy.  The Secretary regularly travels internationally to visit with foreign government and business leaders to discuss... Read More

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Public & Media Affairs

In July of 2006 Sean Spicer was appointed Assistant United StatesTrade Representative for Public andMedia Affairs within the ExecutiveOffice of the President of the UnitedStates. As a member of the seniorexecutive service, Sean is the Administration’s point person for creat-ing and implementing the domesticand international media strategy ontrade related matters. On a daily basishe works with senior Administration officials and media outlets worldwide.Prior to his time at USTR, Seanwas served in the leadership of the U.S.House of Representatives as theCommunications Director for the Republican Conference where heoversaw the message and communi-cations planning and training of Republican members of Congress andover 220 press secretaries.Sean has done stints at theNational Republican Congressional... Read More

U.S. Trade Ambassador Susan Schwab Tells Neal Asbury Show Listeners That Millions of U.S. Jobs Are Being Lost Due to Languishing Trade Agreements

Appearing on the Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM today, United States Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab warned listeners that the European Union is aggressively negotiating several free trade agreements that will give Europe a significant competitive advantage over U.S. exporters. The end result of these negotiations and the inability of the Congress to vote on pending trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama, will be the loss of millions of American jobs. Described by Asbury as the person who is “tirelessly fighting for market access for American exporters,” Ambassador Schwab recently returned from the Mid-East where she was working to open markets for U.S products and services. She was also addressing other key issues, including intellectual property, government... Read More

United States Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab to Appear October 30th On The Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM

On Thursday, October 30th, United States Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab will appear live during The Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM 880 between 11:00 A.M. until Noon.  Asbury, the show’s host and Small Business Administration’s United States National Champion Exporter of the Year will be exploring “An Update on the American Trade Agenda” with Ambassador Schwab. Ambassador Schwab was nominated to be United States Trade Representative (USTR) by President George W. Bush on April 18, 2006, and was confirmed as USTR by the United States Senate on June 8, 2006.  As USTR, Ambassador Schwab is a member of the President’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues.  From October 2005 until her confirmation... Read More