Craig VanGrasstek

Bio

Dr. Craig VanGrasstek received his doctorate in Politics from Princeton University in 1997. He currently teaches courses in trade policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and at the American University's School of International Service (SIS). He also is a frequent lecturer at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, and often speaks at universities, training courses, and seminars.

Academic Background

  • Ph.D., Politics, Princeton University, 1997

  • Fulbright Fellow, Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), 1983-1984

  • Master of Science in Foreign Service, Georgetown University, 1983

  • Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, University of Minnesota, 1981

Areas of Expertise

  • Policy of Trade

  • U.S. foreign economic policymaking process

  • Trade sanctions and disputes

  • Free trade agreements

  • Trade preferences

  • Relations with developing and transitional economies

Present Positions

  • President, Washington Trade Reports

  • Executive Director of the Program on Trade and Negotiations, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Previous Positions

  • Professorial Lecturer, American University (Washington, D.C.) School of International Service (1994-2001).
  • Economist, Korean Traders Association (1985-1986).
  • Research Director, Manchester Associates (1982-1985).
  • Research Assistant, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (1981-1982).
  • Legislative Assistant, Minnesota House of Representatives (1980).
  • Lobbyist, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (1979).

Other Activities and/or Memberships

Recent Publications

 Books

  • Scholars’ Guide to Washington, D.C. For Latin American and Caribbean Studies (revised edition). Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992. In cooperation with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Smithsonian Institution.
  • The Trade and Tariff Act of 1984: Trade Policy in the Reagan Administration (with Stephen Lande). Lexington, Massachusetts: Lexington Books, 1986.
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Book chapters

  • “United States Energy Trade Policy: The Consequences of a Pivotal Year.” Chapter in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Energy and Environmental Services: Negotiating Objectives and Development Priorities (Geneva: UNCTAD, 2003).
  • “Why Demands on Acceding Countries Increase Over Time: A Three-Dimensional Analysis of Multilateral Trade Diplomacy.” Chapter in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, WTO Accessions and Development Policies (Geneva: UNCTAD, 2001).
  • Comment on chapter by Alan Deardorff in Roger Porter, Pierre Sauvé, Arvind Subramanian, Americo Bevigligia Zampetti, editors, Efficiency, Equity, and Legitimacy: The Multilateral Trading System at the Millennium (Washington, D.C.: Center for Business and Government and Brookings Institution, 2001).
  • “The Energy Trade Policy of the United States.” Chapter in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Trade Agreements, Petroleum and Energy Policies (Geneva: UNCTAD, 2000).
  • “U.S. Objectives in the WTO Agriculture Negotiations.” Chapter in Constanza Valdes, ed., Agricultural Trade in the Multilateral Framework: Latin American and Caribbean Perspectives (Caracas: Ediciones Corregidor, 1999).
  • “Labor Rights.” Chapter in Miguel Rodríguez Mendoza, Patrick Low, and Barbara Kotschwar, editors, Trade Rules In The Making: Challenges in Regional and Multilateral Negotiations (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1999).
  • “Civil Society and the U.S. Political Commitment to Trade Liberalization: Implications for Trade Negotiations.” Chapter in Latin American Economic System, The Economic Labyrinth: The Agenda of Latin America and the Caribbean to Cope with the International Financial Crisis (Caracas: Ediciones Corregidor, 1999).
  • “The Free Trade Area of the Americas: Options and Perspectives for the United States of America and Latin America and the Caribbean.” Chapter in Latin American Economic System, Dynamics of the External Relations of Latin America and the Caribbean (Caracas: Ediciones Corregidor, 1998).
  • “Dispute-Settlement Procedures in U.S.-Andean Trade.” Chapter in Miguel Rodríguez Mendoza, Patricia Correa, and Barbara Kotschwar, editors, The Andean Community and the United States: Trade and Investment Relations in the 1990s (Washington, D.C.: Organization of American States, 1998).
  • “Market Access Issues in the Automobile Sector” (with Denis Audet). Chapter in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Market Access Issues in the Automobile Sector (Paris: OECD, 1997).
  • Sections on private-sector initiatives affecting labor rights. Incorporated in chapters of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Trade, Employment and Labour Standards (Paris: OECD, 1996).
  • “El TLCAN y la subasta política.” Chapter in Gustavo Vega Cánovas, editor, México-Estados Unidos-Canadá 1991-1992. Mexico City, Mexico: El Colegio de México, 1993.
  • “The Political Economy of Trade and the Environment in the United States Senate.” Chapter in Patrick Low, ed., International Trade and the Environment. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1992.
  • “The North American Free Trade Agreement: A Regional Model?” (with Gustavo Vega Cánovas). Chapter in Sylvia Saborio, editor, The Premise and the Promise: Free Trade in the Americas. U.S.-Third World Policy Perspectives Number 3. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Books, 1992. In cooperation with the Overseas Development Council.
  • “La influencia del Congreso estadounidense el la formulación de la política de comercio exterior: el caso de la Ronda Uruguay.” Chapter in Gustavo Vega Cánovas, editor, México-Estados Unidos 1990. Mexico City, Mexico: El Colegio de México, 1992.
  • “Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights: United States Trade Policy, Developing Countries and the Uruguay Round,” in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Uruguay Round: Further Papers on Selected Issues. UNCTAD/ITP/42. New York: United Nations, 1990.
  • Chapters 3-6 of Latin American Economic System, América Latina/Estados Unidos: Evolución de las Relaciones Económicas (1984-1985). Mexico City: Siglo Veintiuno Editores, 1986.
  • “Trade with the Developing Countries: The Reagan Record and Prospects” (with Stephen Lande). Chapter in John W. Sewell, Richard Feinberg, and Valeriana Kallab, editors, U.S. Foreign Policy and the Third World: Agenda 1985-86. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Books, 1985. In cooperation with the Overseas Development Council.

  • “The Central American Crisis — Rapporteur’s Report,” in Joseph Cirincione, editor, Central America and the Western Alliance. New York: Holmes & Meier, 1985. In cooperation with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Journal articles

  • “Peace, Security, and Middle East Trade: Is Discrimination the Problem or the Solution?” The Journal of World Investment Volume 4 Number 5 (October, 2003).
  • “U.S. Plans for a New WTO Round: Negotiating More Agreements with Less Authority,” The World Economy Volume 23 Number 5 (May, 2000).
  • “What is the FTAA’s Role in the USA’s Global Strategy?” Capítulos — Relaciones externas de América Latina y el Caribe Number 54 (July-September, 1998), Caracas.
  • “The Fast Track: A Long and Winding Road,” Capítulos — Relaciones externas de América Latina y el Caribe Number 53 (January-June, 1998), Caracas.
  • “Latin America, the United States, and Congress,” Capítulos — Relaciones externas de América Latina y el Caribe Number 52 (October-December, 1997), Caracas.
  • “Is the Fast Track Really Necessary?” Journal of World Trade Volume 31 Number 2 (April, 1997).
  • “Las elecciones estadounidenses y el debate sobre política comercial,” Chapters — Relaciones externas de América Latina y el Caribe-  Number 46 (April-June 1996).
  • “Estados Unidos: Elecciones Legislativas y Política Comercial,” America Latina/Internacional Volume 3 Number 8 (April-June 1986).
  • “Negotiating U.S.-Third World Trade in Services: Obstacles and Opportunities.” Overseas Development Council, Policy Focus Number 7 (1986). Reissued by the U.S. Information Agency as “Trade in Services: Obstacles and Opportunities,” Economic Impact Number 59 (Summer, 1987).
  • “The Caribbean Basin Initiative: Update.” Overseas Development Council, Policy Focus Number 3 (1985).
  • “Policy Analysis: The Trade and Tariff Act of 1984,” Council of the Americas Washington Report Volume 1 Number 1 (January, 1985).

Current Research Projects

Recommended Links

Areas of Interest

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