U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Resigns

Written by: Sandy Williams

The American Iron and Steel Institute commended Ambassador Ron Kirk for his cooperation with the steel industry during his four years of tenure in the Administration. AISI President and CEO Tom Gibson issued the following statement.

“Ambassador Kirk is a dedicated public servant who helped lead U.S. trade policy at a critical time in the progression of our nation’s trade agenda. The steel industry has appreciated his advocacy in the expansion of rules-based trade, which so profoundly affects our businesses, employees and communities. By bringing an unprecedented number of WTO cases, he strongly championed U.S. interests and focused on American jobs. We especially congratulate him on his success at the WTO regarding China’s violations of its WTO obligations when it limited exports of certain critical raw materials to protect its own manufacturers. This was a hard-fought and well-deserved victory, and one for which the steel industry will always be grateful. It was a great honor to work with Ambassador Kirk and we wish him well in his future successes.”