Former USTR Bill Brock Dead at 90
Bill Brock, a U.S. trade representative during the Reagan administration, died March 25 at age 90 of pneumonia, according to published reports.
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While he was trade representative, Brock convinced Japan to accept quotas on Japanese automobile sales, a precedent that his deputy, Robert Lighthizer, capitalized on during his recent tour as USTR. Brock also began working on bilateral free trade agreements, which he criticized in recent years, and began negotiating more on services and intellectual property, and less on goods.
He had been elected to the House and Senate before becoming the national Republican Party chair and then joining Ronald Reagan's Cabinet. He also served as Labor Secretary after his time as USTR.
Brock continued to participate in roundtables hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies of former USTRs, most recently in February (see 2102030050). During that webinar, Brock said, “I’ve never seen the Congress as divided as it is. It is bitterly partisan, it is mean-spirited, and the good ones are leaving.” He added, “The Congress is unable to focus, and I don’t see that changing, for a while anyway.”
Katherine Tai issued a statement on the news: "I was deeply saddened to hear of Ambassador Bill Brock’s passing. He was a legend in the trade world whose leadership was instrumental to the eventual creation of the World Trade Organization. Ambassador Brock rightly appreciated the responsibility of policy makers to engage and listen to the American people. He also fundamentally believed that we have an obligation to clearly communicate the benefits of trade."