FedEx Executives Logging Face Time With Trump, Pence

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Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg News

Top FedEx officials are logging face time with the Trump administration in Washington this week.

Company founder, chairman and CEO Frederick Smith met Feb. 8 with Vice President Pence.

FedEx's president and chief operating officer, David Bronczek, is expected to be among U.S. airline executives meeting with President Trump at the White House on Feb. 9.

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FedEx wouldn't say what Smith and Pence discussed.

FedEx ranks No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

Company spokeswoman Maury Donahue said, "We have met with members of the new administration, and we look forward to continuing to work with the administration on issues important to FedEx and our customers."

Smith has been an outspoken proponent of open trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which Trump withdrew the U.S. administration's support after taking office.

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Smith also has been a staunch advocate of Open Skies, a multilateral agreement that removes country-by-country barriers to airline operations.

Bronczek, who became president of FedEx Corp. on Feb. 1 after heading FedEx Express for 16 years, is a board member of the industry group Airlines for America. The group's members are split over an effort by Delta, United and American airlines to convince the Trump administration to block expansions in the U.S. by state-owned airlines Emirates, Qatar and Etihad.

FedEx is part of another group, U.S. Airlines for Open Skies, that contends limiting the foreign-owned carriers' flights would reduce competition and harm the U.S. economy.