June 9, 1999

A total of 146 agricultural experts have been named to six trade advisory committees by Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky. The committees were established under the 1974 Trade Act.

The committees are the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade and five Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade. They were created by Congress as an advisory committee system to ensure that U.S. trade policy and trade negotiation objectives adequately reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests.

They are to provide USDA and USTR with information and advice on negotiating objectives, bargaining positions and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy.

More information can be obtained from news releases on USDA's web site: www.usda.gov.