The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry, the government agency tasked with bolstering innovation and job growth in that Southeast Asian country, has hired lobbying firm Sorini, Samet & Associates to advocate in Washington on behalf of a possible free trade agreement between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Philippines

The Trump administration for months has weighed the possibility of a bilateral United States-Philippines free trade agreement. SS&A has been hired to provide consulting and research services regarding that possible agreement, which may include outreach to U.S. officials and private sector organizations, according to Foreign Agents Registration Acts documents filed in July.

SS&A in May signed a pact for the same purpose with the Confederation of Garment Exporters of the Philippines, a Manila-based private association comprised of companies involved the Philippines’ garment trade.

The account brings in SS&A a total of $30,000, to be paid in six monthly installments of $5,000.

The pact was signed by SS&A principal and co-founder Ron Sorini, who held positions in the Commerce Dept.and was appointed by President George HW Bush as chief negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative before being named senior VP-international development and government relations at Fruit of the Loom.

SS&A co-founder Andrew Samet, a one-time advisor to former New York Senator Daniel Moynihan, was Labor Undersecretary for international activities in the Clinton Administration, where he dealt with global trade matters.