Stephen P. Jacobs, a top U.S. government trade expert, will join the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) on November 1 as senior director for international business policy. Jacobs comes to the NAM after a three-decade career with the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration. Jacobs' most recent position was deputy assistant secretary for market access and compliance. He also served as the acting assistant secretary for market access and compliance in the Obama Administration, where he directed the department's efforts to open foreign markets for U.S. exports and investment.
Jacobs' extensive career has included negotiating and implementing the United States' first free trade agreement, the NAFTA. He also played a key role in the current Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and bilateral free trade agreements with Australia, Chile, Peru, Singapore and others. He has extensive experience in international investment, compliance, intellectual property and other key international issues.
"Bringing Steve on board will strengthen what is already the best trade team in Washington," said NAM president John Engler. "His breadth and depth of experience as a top U.S. government career trade official, coupled with his first-hand knowledge of trade and market access issues, will enable the NAM to increase its international trade and investment advocacy on behalf of our member companies."
His responsibilities at the NAM will include overseeing the NAM's investment, international standards and international intellectual property protection advocacy, as well as the NAM's interests in Western Hemisphere and European commercial affairs. He will also assist NAM members in formulating approaches to solving specific trade or investment problems and will strengthen the NAM's advocacy for trade and investment policy generally.
The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation’s largest industrial trade association, representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing has a presence in every single congressional district providing good, high-paying jobs. For more information, visit www.nam.org.