Secretary Raimondo Statement of Support for Ian Saunders’ Candidacy for Secretary General of the World Customs Organization

Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo issued the following statement reiterating her and the Department of Commerce’s strong support for Ian Saunders as the U.S. candidate for Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO):

“I unequivocally support Ian Saunders’ candidacy for Secretary General of the World Customs Organization. Ian is an internationally renowned and respected leader whose exceptional track record of program implementation, policy development, and coalition building has strengthened our relationships with trading partners. Thanks to his decades of leadership working at the intersection of customs, trade, and commercial policy, Ian is prepared to be a transformative and inclusive leader of the WCO. We are confident that the WCO members will benefit from his expertise and experience in bilateral, regional, and multilateral affairs. I wholeheartedly encourage our partners around the world to support his candidacy.”

Mr. Saunders currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the International Trade Administration, at the Department of Commerce, where he is responsible for developing programs, policies,

and strategies to strengthen the United States' commercial position in the Western Hemisphere. He oversees a network of 24 field offices throughout the region that help to carry out this mission. A member of the U.S. Government Senior Executive Service since 2008, Mr. Saunders has more than 20 years of customs experience at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Customs Service and 30 years of experience in international affairs.