Office of Multilateral Trade and Agricultural Affairs

The Office of Multilateral Trade and Agricultural Affairs (MTAA or EEB/TPP/MTAA) used to be an office in the U.S. State Department. It was under Trade Policy and Programs within the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs. During the Obama Administration, MTAA was broken into two different categories, the Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs and the Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs.

While it existed, the Office of Multilateral Trade and Agricultural Affairs was comprised of two divisions:


 * "The Multilateral Trade Affairs (MTA) division leads the State Department's trade policy activities in multilateral institutions, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It provides technical expertise in regional and bilateral trade negotiations including labor, environment, services, government procurement, trade remedies, and trade capacity building. The MTA team is working to conclude an ambitious WTO Doha Development Round that will provide economic benefits to the U.S. and help reduce poverty abroad. MTA also supports bilateral WTO accession negotiations and U.S. Trade programs to include the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.


 * "The Agriculture, Biotechnology and Textile Trade Affairs (ABT) division works to advance the State Department’s critical global food security goals. The ABT team is addressing barriers and opening markets for American farm products, contributing to the development of effective food aid policies, promoting rural development and increasing agricultural productivity through biotechnology. The ABT division oversees the distribution of the Department’s biotech outreach funds to promote international acceptance of biotechnology."

As of the end of 2008, MTAA was headed by Director William E. Craft, Jr. (a.k.a. Bill Craft).

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Jack A. Bobo
 * Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs
 * U.S. State Department Promotion of Agricultural Biotechnology

External Resources

 * State Department Outreach Activities on Agricultural Biotechnology, Presentation by Jack A. Bobo.
 * Bangkok Proposal: 2009 Ag-biotechnology Outreach Funds, U.S. State Department cable via Wikileaks, January 15, 2010.
 * PRETORIA'S PROPOSAL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY FUNDS, U.S. State Department cable via Wikileaks, January 13, 2010.
 * FY 2010 BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH FUNDS: TUNISIA PROPOSAL, U.S. State Department cable via Wikileaks, January 13, 2010.
 * Romania: Successful Biotech Outreach To New Government Officials, U.S. State Department cable via Wikileaks, April 6, 2009.