MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Portman, new US Trade Representative

US president George Bush named Republican Congressman Rob Portman Foreign Trade Representative because he's the “appropriate man” to push forward with the country's trade agenda.

"Rob knows first hand that million of US jobs depend on exports", said Mr. Bush in the White House on making the announcement.

President Bush said Mr. Portman will have to work to achieve international commerce rules that are "fair for all" and urged the US Senate a quick confirmation of his candidate.

"To keep the economy growing and creating jobs we need to open foreign markets to US products", and that will be one of the main tasks of the next Foreign Trade Representative.

President Bush highlighted that Mr. Portman knows perfectly well that "US farmers and workers and compete with anybody, at any moment and in any place in the world, as long as trade rules are fair".

Mr. Portman who will be replacing Robert Zoellick as head of the Foreign Trade Office underline that opening markets and improving trade relations are "a vital component" to achieve a more "peaceful, stable and prosperous" world.

If finally confirmed Mr. Portman will have the difficult task of promoting international trade agreements and then having them ratified by both houses of the US Congress, which has proved rather reluctant at times on the issue.

An immediate challenge is the ratification of the free trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic which apparently faces strong Congressional resistance.

Portman, 49, is married, has three children and lives in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, which he represents in the House of Representatives. Ohio proved to be a clue state in the November 2004 presidential election.