Portman chosen for US trade post

President Bush (left) and Rob Portman are close friends

President Bush has nominated Rob Portman, a Republican Congressman and close friend, to be the United States' new trade representative.

If his appointment is approved by the US Senate, Mr Portman will succeed Robert Zoellick, promoted to number two at the State Department.

Mr Portman would take charge of the US' occasionally strained relationship with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The US is facing trade disputes with the European Union, China and Canada.

Trade expert

A former international trade lawyer, Mr Portman was elected to Congress from Ohio in 1992 after having worked in the White House of President Bush's father.

He has served on the influential Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives - which oversees trade and tax legislation.

Mr Portman played an important role in President Bush's re-election campaign, in which his narrow win in Ohio proved decisive.

We need to complete the Doha round of negotiations within the World Trade Organisation to reduce the global barriers to trade President Bush

If approved, Mr Portman will inherit a raft of bilateral trade disputes as well as controversial plans to create a free trade agreement across Central America and, eventually, across the entire Americas.

He would also play a key role in efforts to secure a new global trade pact within the WTO's Doha round of negotiations.

Open competition

Announcing the nomination, President Bush emphasised the need to keep foreign markets open to US goods.

"Rob [Mr Portman] knows that America's farmers and workers can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere in the world association so long as the rules are fair.

"We need to complete the Doha round of negotiations within the World Trade Organisation to reduce the global barriers to trade."

The US recently lost a key verdict on cotton subsidies paid to its farmers, which the WTO decided were illegal.

It is involved in ongoing disputes with the EU about imports of hormone-injected beef and with Canada about subsidies for goods such as pork and lumber.

Huge challenge

Mr Portman would also have to address growing concerns about the US' trade deficit with China, which has prompted calls to restrict imports on Chinese textiles, furniture and other goods.

The European Commission welcomed Mr Portman's nomination, emphasising co-operation with the United States.

"A huge challenge lies ahead of us in view of the completion of the (current round of world trade talks) so we have to start co-operating with the new US trade representative as soon as possible," said spokesman Claude Veron-Reville.