Industry News

Demetrios Marantis Named Acting US Trade Representative

March 14, 2013


On March 14, 2013, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that Deputy USTR Demetrios Marantis will take charge of the agency as Acting USTR, effective March 15, 2013. Ambassador Ron Kirk recently announced plans to resign after spending four years serving as USTR.

Ambassador Marantis has been Deputy USTR since May 2009, and has been responsible for U.S. trade negotiations and enforcement in Asia and Africa, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum, and Trade and Investment Framework Agreements. He has also led USTR global initiatives on trade and the environment, as well as trade and development, including the administration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

Ambassador Marantis previously served as Chief International Trade Counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and as Issues Director on the Kerry-Edwards 2004 presidential campaign. He also worked as Chief Legal Advisor for the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council and served as Associate General Counsel in the Office of the USTR.