Barbara Weisel is a nonresident scholar in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She recently retired as a managing director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, an international economic policy advisory firm, where she focused on international trade and investment policy and negotiations as well as market access, regulatory matters, and digital trade issues.

Ms. Weisel has more than 25 years of experience in government advancing international trade and investment initiatives, expanding market access in Asia-Pacific markets, and resolving specific issues faced by businesses in the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Weisel served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. She was the U.S. chief negotiator for the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) from its inception in 2008 through its signing in 2016.

In addition to TPP, Ms. Weisel led bilateral FTA negotiations with Malaysia and Thailand.  She also led efforts to expand U.S. market access and promote U.S. economic interests in the Asia Pacific.

As Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Bilateral Asian Affairs (Korea, Southeast Asia, and South Asia), Ms. Weisel helped negotiate the FTAs with Australia and Singapore. Earlier, she served as the official responsible for managing global pharmaceutical regulatory issues and as director for Japan affairs.

Before joining USTR, she worked at the State Department from 1984-1994, serving in a variety of positions, including as international economist on Japan, the Persian Gulf countries, and North Africa.

Ms. Weisel earned two Masters’ Degrees from Harvard University in 1983 and a Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude).