President Obama is tapping Disney president-CEO Bob Iger to serve as a member of the President’s Export Council.
President Obama announced the members of the council Wednesday as part of an update to his State of the Union pledge to try to double U.S. exports in five years.
In addition to Iger, Obama tapped chief executives or chairmen of the board of Verizon, United Airlines parent UAL Corp and its Union Association union, UPS, Archer Daniels Midland, Ernst & Young, Vermeer Corp., Dow Corning, Ford Motor Co., UPS, Xerox, G&C Equipment, Carpenter & Co., MetLife, Warburg Pincus and Magno International. Boeing president-CEO Jim McNerney chairs the council.
In his comments Wednesday, President Obama stressed the importance of boosting exports as a way to build American jobs.
“In my State of the Union address, I set a goal for America: Over the next five years, we will double our exports of goods and services around the world — an increase that will boost economic growth and support millions of American jobs in a manner that is deficit-friendly,” Obama said.
“Export growth leads to job growth and economic growth. In 2008, American exports accounted for nearly 7 percent of our total employment, one in three manufacturing jobs, and supported 10.3 million jobs in all — jobs that pay 15 percent more than average. So at a time when jobs are in short supply, building exports is an imperative.
“But this isn’t just about where jobs are today; this is where American jobs will be tomorrow. Ninety-five percent of the world’s customers and fastest-growing markets are beyond our borders. So if we want to find new growth streams, if we want to find new markets and new opportunity, we’ve got to compete for those new customers – because other nations are competing for those new customers.”
Obama said the U.S. is working to fight barriers to American exports overseas.
“We live in a interconnected world. There are global challenges and global opportunities. This nation has never shied away from the prospect of competition. We thrive on competition," he said. "And we are better positioned than anybody — as uniquely positioned as ever — to compete with anyone in the world. We’ve got the most respected brands, the best products, the most vibrant companies in the world. We’ve got the most productive workers in the world. When the playing field is even, nobody can beat us. And we are upping our game for the playing field of the 21st century.”
