President Biden will nominate Doug McKalip as the U.S. Trade Representative’s next chief agricultural negotiator. McKalip is a longtime USDA advisor and expert in agriculture and trade. 

The nominee has served as the senior advisor to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on trade, national security, and animal and plant health regulations since March 2021. 

Reuters says U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai calls McKalip a highly-qualified nominee with decades of experience in public service. 

“His institutional knowledge of USDA spans multiple administrations, from leading different offices to serving as a trusted adviser to Secretary Vilsack,” Tai says, “and he will help us continue the close collaboration between our agencies that’s enabled a lot of success.” 

The chief ag negotiator directs USTR’s negotiations aimed at boosting U.S. farm exports, such as the recent agreement allowing more American beef exports to flow into Japan. 

McKalip is in year 28 of working with the USDA.

(Story Courtesy of the NAFB News Service)