APCO Worldwide is lobbyist for the National Foreign Trade Council, a group formed by U.S. businesses to advance global commerce, specifically for tort reform.

NFTC is in the forefront of Corporate America's effort to squash boycotts of goods from France, Germany and Russia because of opposition to the invasion of Iraq.

It joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Organization for International Investment in writing a letter to President Bush on April 18 to emphasize that stance. "While we understand the frustrations fueling these initiatives, we believe it is crucial for your Administration to speak out against such efforts both in the U.S. and with our partners abroad," the trio wrote.

They believe Corporate America and U.S. workers are the chief beneficiaries of globalization. The 4.4 million Americans working for European companies are the "real losers in any large boycott of European firms," according to the letter.

The House passed the Kennedy/Nethercutt amendment to the "2003 Wartime Supplement Appropriations Bill. That banned French, German, Russian and Syrian companies from participating in the reconstruction of Iraq. The measure died in the conference committee with the Senate.

Former Senator Don Riegle and Rep. Don Bonker, along with APCO North America chairman Neal Cohen are staffers at the Grey Global Group unit representing the NFTC.