Peter Allgeier

Peter Frederick Allgeier
United States Trade Representative
Acting
In office
January 20, 2009 – March 18, 2009
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded bySusan Schwab
Succeeded byRon Kirk
In office
February 18, 2005 – April 29, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byRobert Zoellick
Succeeded byRob Portman

Peter Frederick Allgeier was the U.S. Deputy Trade Representative from May 2001 until August 2009.[1] Allgeier was also the President of C&M International, Ltd., an affiliate of Crowell & Moring LLP, a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., California, New York, Brussels, and London.[2] He has been the President of the Coalition of Services Industries (CSI) since 2012.[3]

Education

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Allgeier graduated cum laude from Brown University with an A.B in international relations and earned a master's degree in international relations from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He received a PhD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was also a visiting instructor at Duke University and a Rockefeller Fellow at Harvard Divinity School.

Career

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Allgeier joined the U.S. Trade Representative in June 1980, as an international economist dealing with Asia, serving in 1981 as Director for Japanese Affairs. Between 1981 and 1985 he was Deputy Assistant Trade Representative for Asia and the Pacific. In 1985 he became Assistant Trade Representative for Asia and the Pacific. In 1989 he became Assistant Trade Representative for Europe and the Mediterranean. In 1995 he was appointed Associate U.S Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere by USTR Mickey Kantor. As a U.S Trade Representative, Allgeier was accused of intimidating other countries to back down from tobacco control measures, including making efforts to get Korea and Taiwan to back down on marketing restrictions to children.[4]

Allgeier has conducted major trade negotiations with countries throughout Asia, Europe (including the former Soviet Union), the Middle East, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and in multilateral organizations, including the UN, WTO, and OECD.[5]

Allgeier was nominated by President George W. Bush as Deputy U.S.Trade Representative and confirmed by the United States Senate on May 26, 2001. He also served twice as Acting U.S. Trade Representative, during two transitions, in 2005 and in 2009. In 2005, he was appointed United States Ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

As President of C&M International, Allgeier lobbied against anti-smoking laws around the world.[4][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] When questioned about Allgeier's lobbying, the CEO of British American Tobacco Australia would not comment on whether his company is directly connected to it.[4] C&M International has a history of working with the tobacco industry,[11] and has strong links to tobacco company Philip Morris.[8] Allgeier has been described as the "private face" of the tobacco industry.[6][11] According to Steve Cannane from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Allgeier turned down a request from Lateline in 2011 to comment on or be interviewed about his lobbying against anti-smoking laws.[11]

In 2020, Allgeier, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that President Trump was unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him."[13]

Personal life

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Allgeier was born in Orange, New Jersey and is married to Marsha Uehara of Honolulu, Hawaii. They have two sons and live in Falls Church, Virginia.

References

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  1. ^ Palmer, Doug (August 13, 2009). "U.S. ambassador to WTO Allgeier to leave government". Reuters. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  2. ^ "U.S. Ambassador To World Trade Organization Peter Allgeier Joins C&M International". crowell.com. August 17, 2009. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  3. ^ "CSI Staff". servicescoalition.org. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Big tobacco takes packaging fight overseas". radioaustralia.net.au. May 27, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  5. ^ "Statement by Ambassador Peter Allgeier at the WTO General Council". geneva.usmission.gov. May 26, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Cannane, Steve (May 26, 2011). "Big tobacco takes packaging fight overseas". Lateline. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  7. ^ "Big tobacco wants Malaysia to lobby Aust". Sky News. May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Malaysia lobbied to derail cigarette packaging laws". University of New South Wales. May 28, 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  9. ^ "Big tobacco wants Malaysia to put pressure on Australia". News Limited. May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  10. ^ Chooi, Clara (May 27, 2011). "Big tobacco seeks KL help to pressure Australia". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d "Malaysia being lobbied to derail cig packaging laws". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. May 26, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  12. ^ "Australian health minister determines on plain cigarette packaging plan". Xinhua News Agency. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  13. ^ "Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden". Defending Democracy Together. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by United States Trade Representative
Acting

2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Trade Representative
Acting

2009
Succeeded by