USDA names acting trade affairs undersecretary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as part of its recently announced reorganization, has appointed Jason Hafemeister to acting deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed Jason Hafemeister, formerly acting deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, to acting deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.
   The move is part of an overall USDA reorganization plan announced by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on May 11, and meets a directive in the 2014 Farm Bill that requires the department to form the new trade and foreign affairs post.
   Hafemeister has been involved in agricultural farm and trade policy for more than 25 years, including almost 20 years at USDA and with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He has served as the lead U.S. negotiator on agriculture in the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round negotiations, the Central America Free Trade Agreement, and China’s accession to the WTO. He was also instrumental in finalizing the recent agreement to allow the resumption of imports of U.S. beef to China.
   According to USDA, U.S. agricultural and food exports account for 20 percent of the value of production, and every dollar of these exports creates another $1.27 in business activity.