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Ambassador Mussomeli (left), Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce Dr. Cham Prasidh (center) and Deputy USTR Dr. Christina Sevilla (right) at the Forum on Consultative Mechanisms for Trade Facilitation in Phnom Penh.
Deputy USTR Dr. Christina Sevilla praises Cambodia for increase in economic transparency
Phnom Penh
August 13, 2008
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Dr. Christina Sevilla visited Phnom Penh on Wednesday the 13th of August and participated in a forum on consultative mechanisms with H.E. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and the Minister of Commerce. During a break in the event she congratulated the Royal Government of Cambodia on the impressive strides it has made in increasing transparency and dialogue with the private sector, and signaled the U.S.’s commitment to deepening and expanding the trade relationship between the two countries. Dr. Sevilla also stated that Cambodia needed to implement its WTO commitments and strengthen its intellectual property rights regime in order to improve the business climate.
The forum provided a platform for the participants to share U.S. and Cambodian experiences in consultative mechanisms for trade development in order to further the economic ties between the two countries. Promoting trade through improved policies and procedures is one goal of a private-public sector dialogue. Trade between the U.S. and Cambodia rose to 2.6 billion USD in 2007 and is expected to increase to over 3 billion USD in 2008.
Ms. Sevilla heads up the office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison in the office of the United States Trade Representative. She is responsible for USTR’s private sector advisory committee system established by Congress to advise the USTR, the President, and other Executive Branch agencies on trade issues. In this capacity, she assists in coordinating the activities of 28 advisory committees in conjunction with the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She also manages USTR’s consultations and outreach with state and local governments on trade policy issues, including matters pertaining to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other trade agreements.
