THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                   (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     August 4, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES ROBERT S. LaRUSSA AS UNDER SECRETARY FOR

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

The President today recess appointed Robert S. LaRussa as Under Secretary for International Trade at the Department of Commerce. Mr. LaRussa was nominated to the United States Senate on May 25, 2000.

Mr. Robert S. LaRussa, of Annapolis, Maryland, is currently the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration at the Department of Commerce. He is responsible for leading the Department's effort in administering U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws to ensure a level playing field for American industries in the competitive global market. Mr. LaRussa also served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, a global network strategically located in over 200 cities worldwide dedicated to assisting U.S. business in their exporting efforts.

Mr. LaRussa received a B.A. degree from the University of Massachusetts and a J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

As the Under Secretary for International Trade, Mr. LaRussa will be responsible for policies and programs that promote world trade and strengthen the international trade and investment position of the United States.

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