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Rufus Yerxa | |
|---|---|
| PresidentNational Foreign Trade Council | |
| In office May 2016 – October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Reinsch |
| Succeeded by | Jake Colvin |
| Deputy Director GeneralWorld Trade Organization | |
| In office 2002–2013 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Stoler |
| Succeeded by | David Shark |
| Personal details | |
| Education | University of Washington (BA) Seattle University Law School (JD) University of Cambridge (LLB) |
Rufus Hawkins Yerxa (born May 6, 1951) is a retired American lawyer and former U.S. government and international official. He served as Deputy United States Trade Representative during the George H.W. Bush and Clinton Administrations, and served for 11 years as Deputy Director General of theWorld Trade Organization (WTO).[1] From 2016 to 2021 he was President of theNational Foreign Trade Council.
Yerxa holds degrees from
From 1977-81 he was legal advisor to the chairman of theInternational Trade Commission. From 1981-89 he was a staff member of the U.S. HouseWays and Means Committee, serving as staff director of its Subcommittee on Trade and later as Assistant Chief Counsel of the full Committee.
From 1989 to 1995 he was a Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR), serving first in Geneva as U.S. ambassador to theGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and subsequently as Deputy USTR in Washington. He played a key role in theUruguay Round Negotiations,[2] and was later responsible for overseeing the Clinton Administration's efforts to obtain Congressional approval of both NAFTA and the WTO Agreement. After leaving government service In the mid-1990s, he was a resident partner in theBrussels office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, where his practice focused on international trade and European regulatory matters.
In 2002 he was appointed to serve as Deputy Director General of the WTO, a position he held until 2013. During this time he was also a lecturer on U.S. trade policy at theWorld Trade Institute (WTI) in Berne. After retiring from the WTO he joined the faculty of theMiddlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, California as a visiting professor.
From 2016 to 2021 he was President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a trade association in Washington representing U.S. companies on global trade and investment matters.[3]
From February 2022 to June 2024 he was a Senior Advisor with McClarty Associates, advising their international trade practice both in Washington and internationally.[4]
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