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USA : AAFA wants official appointed to oversee CAFTA-DR implementation
September 27, 2005

Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association – the national trade association representing apparel, footwear, and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers –urged US Trade Representative Rob Portman and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to appoint an Administration official to oversee and coordinate US Government implementation efforts for the US/Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).

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“Swift and timely implementation, led by an Administration official tasked with the critical role of coordinating the efforts of the various agencies to get this agreement up and running as swiftly as possible, is the surest course to success,� noted Burke in a letter to Portman and Gutierrez that was sent last week. Burke continued, “We need you to appoint such a person, a CAFTA-DR Implementation Czar, as quickly as possible.�

In that letter, Burke urged the Administration to quickly publish the Proclamation that is the foundation upon which all other implementation documents are based.

According to Burke, “A CAFTA-DR Implementation Czar would not only ensure that the agreement is implemented swiftly, but could act as a liaison with Congress and U.S. businesses to ensure that the rules and regulations implementing the agreement not only truly reflect the intentions of Congress, but also ensure that the rules and regulations are crafted in such a way to enable U.S. businesses and their workers to utilize the full benefits of CAFTA-DR as quickly as possible.�