Chief U.S. Coffee Negotiator Replaced; No Policy Shift Seen

The chief U.S. coffee negotiator, Jon Rosenbaum, has been replaced, but the move does not signal a shift in U.S. coffee policy, officials at the Trade Representative’s Office said Tuesday.

Rosenbaum’s departure is considered important because he took a high-profile approach to his job, provoking the wrath of some coffee producers for his outspoken ways and perceived hard-line positions.

Colombian President Virgilio Barco, for example, last month blamed the “intransigent position” of the United States for the collapse of the coffee price-support system.

Rosenbaum has headed U.S. efforts to overhaul the export quota accord that until last month governed world coffee trade and helped prop up prices.

The breakup of the 74-nation coffee pact on July 3 threw markets into chaos and sent prices plummeting. Coffee provides important export earnings for a large number of developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.