Editing Clayton Yeutter (section)

===United States Trade Representative===
After working for eight years in the private sector, Yeutter returned to public office in July 1985. After Reagan's nomination, Yeutter was confirmed by the Senate as [[Office of the United States Trade Representative|U.S. Trade Representative]] on June 28, 1985. He succeeded [[Bill Brock|William E. Brock]], who was named [[United States Secretary of Labor|Secretary of Labor]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Nation |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-28-fi-1573-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 28, 1985 |access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref> While holding the position Yeutter helped pass the 1988 Trade Bill through Congress, completed the [[Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement]], managed the initial negotiations regarding the [[Uruguay Round]] of the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] and used American trade laws to open foreign markets to American goods.<ref name="nyt-19881215" />

Yeutter was perceived to be an outsider because of his inexperience interacting with Congress to develop legislation and because he was only mildly acquainted with the President. These characteristics contrasted with his 11 predecessors, who possessed greater political credentials and a closer relationship to the President. In fact, Yeutter argued that his independence from Reagan reflected his success in the position.<ref name="nyt-19880929">{{cite news|last=Farnsworth|first=Clyde H.|title=Negotiating New Directions for American Trade|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/us/washington-talk-working-profile-clayton-k-yeutter-negotiating-new-directions-for.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|access-date=April 30, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 29, 1988}}</ref>

Along with the Commerce Secretary, [[Malcolm Baldrige, Jr.|Malcolm Baldrige]], and Treasury Secretary, [[James Baker]], Yeutter was accredited with the formulation of a comprehensive US trade policy after his first 4 months in office.<ref name="nyt-19880929"/><ref name="farnsworth1985">Canada. Legislative Assembly. "[http://qp.gov.bc.ca/CMT/36thParl/mai/hansard/t12_1002.htm Special Committee on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706165111/http://qp.gov.bc.ca/CMT/36thParl/mai/hansard/t12_1002.htm |date=July 6, 2011 }}". October 2, 1998.</ref> At this point in time the Reagan administration was faced with mounting pressure from the Congress for protectionist policy that would tackle the mounting international trade deficit.<ref>{{cite news |title=Reagan to Nominate Yeutter for Trade Post |author=Ruby Abramson |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-04-03-fi-28637-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 3, 1985 |access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref> Additionally, Yeutter faced tense trade negotiations with Japan. In June 1985 Yeutter initiated an investigation based on [[Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974|Section 301]] of the [[1974 Trade Act]] against Japan for unfair barriers to sale of American electronic products.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yeutter began a computer chip investigation |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-15-fi-7747-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 15, 1985 |access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref> In October Yeutter took similar action against South Korea based on a complaint filed by the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]]. The unfair trade practices outlined in the complaint were exacerbated by at $4 billion trade deficit with South Korea during the previous year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Probe Likely On Korea's Film Curbs |author=Penny Pagano |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-25-ca-14424-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 25, 1985 |access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref>

On February 3, 1987, while discussing the [[Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement]] at a [[Brookings Institution]] seminar, Yeutter was quoted as saying the agreement would risk the loss of Canadian culture.<ref name="farnsworth-19870214">{{cite news|last=Farnsworth|first=Clyde H.|title=A Trade War Veteran With Tales to Tell|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/14/us/washington-talk-working-profile-clayton-k-yeutter-trade-war-veteran-with-tales.html?scp=2&sq=clayton+yeutter&st=nyt|access-date=April 30, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 14, 1987}}</ref> The statement reflected the Canadian public concern that the free trade agreement would lead to unprecedented American economic and cultural dominance. Although the comment was not notable in the United States, it produced considerable controversy in Canada. In response to the comment [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Brian Mulroney]] stated in the [[Parliament of Canada|Canadian Parliament]] that "his remarks showed a stunning ignorance of Canada".<ref name="nyt-19881215" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Mulroney blasts U.S. envoy|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mb0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s2kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1086,477732&dq=yeutter&hl=en|access-date=July 18, 2011|newspaper=The Lewiston Journal|date=February 5, 1987}}</ref>