Coinciding with his new video on trade, China, and Obama, Governor Mitt Romney has announced the names of the Chairman and Co-Chairs of his Trade Policy Advisory Group:

Boston, MA – … Mitt Romney announced that Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will serve as chair, and Rod Hunter and John Herrmann as co-chairs, of his Trade Policy Advisory Group. The group will help Romney formulate pro-growth trade policies that open markets around the world for American goods and services while ensuring that trading partners play by the rules and welcome robust competition. Romney will discuss his vision for American trade policy, and its role in economic growth and job creation, today at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, WA.

“Free trade is essential to restoring robust economic growth and creating jobs,” said Mitt Romney. “American businesses and workers are unparalleled in their productivity and ingenuity, and when we are given the opportunity to compete we have shown we can win. My Trade Policy Advisory Group has been instrumental in shaping the policies that I presented last month in my economic plan, Believe in America, which will reverse the stagnation brought about by the Obama administration’s neglect of our trading interests. I look forward to working with this team on a strategy for international trade that will produce the right environment for economic growth and job creation.”

“Mitt Romney has the right combination of private sector experience, conservative principles, and leadership to address the enormous challenges that the United States faces in the international economy,” said former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. “His trade agenda is unique in its steadfast commitment to free trade coupled with a willingness to confront nations that betray principles of free enterprise to exploit our own open market. This approach is necessary to restore a pro-growth business environment that will create jobs.”

Background On The Chair And Co-Chairs Of The Trade Policy Advisory Group:

Carlos Gutierrez served as Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009. Gutierrez also served as Co-Chair of the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. Prior to entering government service, Gutierrez was the President and CEO of the Kellogg Company.

Rod Hunter served on the National Security Council staff from 2003 to 2007. Hunter was a Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for International Trade, Energy, and Environment. Prior to the NSC, Hunter served as Special Counsel in the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

John Herrmann served on the National Security Council staff from 2005 to 2009. Herrmann was NSC Director for International Trade and Investment, and then served as a Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for International Trade, Energy, and Environment.

*NOTE - Secretary Gutierrez wrote an excellent piece on Romney and free trade for FoxNews.com yesterday. It’s worth reading in its entirety:

Romney Will Create Jobs By Opening New Markets for America

Former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, Chairman of Mitt Romney's Trade Policy Advisory Group

[...]
President Obama claimed to understand the importance of free trade, declaring in his State of the Union address: “We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores.” Sadly, his habit of talking about jobs while doing nothing to further their creation has been on full display in this arena.

Upon taking office he derailed the robust and active trade agenda pursued by the outgoing Bush administration. He inherited ongoing negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership with countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and New Zealand, and immediately put them on hold. He also inherited free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea that were signed, sealed, and ready for delivery to Congress. But it has taken him nearly three years to move them forward, and their passage this week has been a bitter reminder of opportunities lost during which time we have watched competitors pass us by.

While President Obama kept America on the sidelines, other countries have been in the game. An agreement between South Korea and the EU went into effect earlier this year giving European companies a significant advantage over American ones in the Korean market. EU-Korean trade increased 17 percent in just the first two weeks.

China has been busily working to supplant our influence in our own hemisphere, making massive investments in places like Colombia that prompted the Colombian president to declare Asia “the new motor of the world economy.”
[...]
Mitt Romney offers the most comprehensive agenda for opening new markets to American goods and services. Just as importantly, Mitt is the only candidate with the skills and experience to put his plan into effect. As president, he will ensure that any pending FTAs are promptly submitted for approval by Congress. He will vigorously pursue successful completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And he will pursue new agreements, be they with economic powerhouses in our own backyard like Brazil, close allies like the European Union, or smaller economies across the globe that share a strong commitment to the principles of open markets and fair competition.

(emphasis added )

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► Jayde Wyatt