On Monday, January 31st, and Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, WITA hosted its fourth annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC). This conference brought together leaders in international trade from across the U.S. and around the world to explore the trade landscape and look toward the future of trade.

 Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Moderator: Ambassador Kristen Silverberg, President & COO, Business Roundtable; former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union 

Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, World Trade Organization

Kelly K. Milton, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Environment and Natural Resources

Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta, Costa Rica’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, Co-Chair, Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), World Trade Organization

Moderator: Sarah Stewart, Executive Director, Silverado Policy Accelerator; former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Environment and Natural Resources

Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Moderator: Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; former Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization

Amy P. Celico, Principal Albright Stonebridge Group | Dentons Global Advisors; former Senior Director for China Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Wendy Cutler, Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Samm Sacks, Senior Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center & New America, Yale Law School

Moderator: Erin Ennis, Vice President, Global Public Policy, Dell Technologies

Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Tomita Koji, Japanese Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Ambassador to the United States

Moderator: Ambassador Susan Schwab, Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP; former U.S. Trade Representative

Orit Frenkel, CEO, American Leadership Initiative

Ed Gresser, Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets, Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)

Jeffrey Kucik, Associate Professor, School of Government and Public Policy at University of Arizona

Chad Thompson, Executive Director for Legal Affairs & Trade, General Motors

Moderator: Sarah Thorn, Senior Director of Global Government Affairs, Walmart

Jon Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy, National Retail Federation

Phil Levy, Chief Economist, Flexport

Penny Naas, President of International Public Affairs and Sustainability, UPS

Maria Zieba, Assistant Vice President of International Affairs, National Pork Producers Council

Moderator: Ana Swanson, Correspondent, New York Times

Ambassador Sarah Bianchi, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner & President & CEO, Crowell & Moring LLP and C&M International; Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

The post 2022 Washington International Trade Conference Recap appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, May 27, WITA discussed how investments in America’s infrastructure supports U.S. trade, competitiveness and global supply chains.  

WITA Webinar Featuring:

Robbie Boone, Rebuild Rural Coalition, and Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Farm Credit Council

Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

Kevin Dempsey, President and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute

John Neuffer, President and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association

Moderator: Dr. Charles Boustany, Jr, Partner, Capitol Counsel, LLC

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Robbie Boone is Senior Vice President & General Counsel at the Farm Credit Council, the national trade association representing the institutions of the Farm Credit System before Congress, the Administration and other federal agencies. The Council also coordinates the activities of the Rebuild Rural Coalition on behalf of its 260+ national, state and local organization partners.

Robbie is responsible for managing the trade association’s legal affairs, including advising the FCC Board of Directors on legal matters. Robbie leads the Farm Credit Council’s efforts to achieve a regulatory environment favorable to Farm Credit’s mission to support rural communities and agriculture. In addition, Mr. Boone manages Farm Credit’s coordinating role with the more than 250 national, state and local partner organizations comprising the Rebuild Rural Coalition –– a rural infrastructure coalition highlighting the unique needs of rural communities, producers, businesses and families.

Before joining the Council in 2009, Robbie served on Capitol Hill for five and a half years –– in a legislative capacity for a Member of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Vice President/Analyst for U.S. Trust.

Robbie holds a J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Miami (FL). He received his B.A. from Wake Forest University. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina, District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Robbie, and his wife, Sarah, and their three children reside in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Charles Boustany, Jr. is a former Congressman (R-LA) and prominent heart surgeon, and now a partner with Capitol Counsel, LLC. During his 12 years in Congress, Dr. Boustany served on the influential House Committee on Ways and Means, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittees on Tax Policy, Oversight, and Human Resources. As a Ways and Means Committee member, Dr. Boustany established himself as an expert and leader on tax, trade, health care, and entitlement policy. Dr. Boustany is a leader in trade assistance and enforcement issues and has led seminars on the conduct of legislative oversight for members of parliament from emerging democracies. He has authored numerous opinion pieces on health care, energy, trade and foreign policy in Politico, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, and in the peer-reviewed journal Asia Policy. For 14 years, Dr. Boustany had a private practice of medicine in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Lafayette, Louisiana.

As a member of Congress, Boustany successfully led the effort to increase funding for ports and waterways. Legislative victories include co-authorship and passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and the PROTECT Act, which strengthened enforcement of U.S. international trade laws. He passed several bills benefiting veterans that included securing the construction of two new veterans clinics in south Louisiana. Boustany was also a leader in the efforts to pass trade promotion authority and in the passage of several free trade agreements that included Panama, Columbia and South Korea. Boustany also helped lift the ban on crude oil exports and expanded liquefied natural gas exports. Other legislative successes include health care relief for small businesses and reforming IRS practices, and key legislation on health savings accounts, and international tax. Before his election to Congress, Boustany launched extensive quality improvement in open heart surgery programs in two community hospitals that led to national recognition for quality.

Brandy D. Christian is the President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and the CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, a shortline connecting railroad strategically aligned with the Port. The two public agencies have combined revenues of $100 million, nearly 500 employees, and more than $200 million in capital projects. In her Port role, Christian oversees all cargo, cruise, and industrial real estate operations. As the CEO of the Public Belt, she sets strategic direction and oversees all rail holdings.

Christian serves on the Green Marine Board of Directors, Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank Trade and Transportation Advisory Council, Louisiana Board of International Commerce, the World Trade Center of New Orleans Board of Directors, the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and on the Cruise Committee for the American Association of Port Authorities.

Before joining Port NOLA, Christian served 14 years with the Port of San Diego as vice president of strategy and business development.

Kevin Dempsey is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute, representing the interests of American steel producers. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Public Policy and General Counsel to the Institute for the past 11 years during which AISI achieved key policy successes; including: implementation of Section 232 trade remedies to preserve the steel industry’s key role in national and economic security, the enactment of historic legislation to strengthen trade laws, successful infrastructure initiatives to benefit the steel industry and numerous measures that enhance steel manufacturing competitiveness.

Before joining AISI, Dempsey was a partner at Dewey & LeBoeuf, a global law firm. Dempsey litigated numerous international trade cases on behalf of U.S. steel producers and other U.S. industries before the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. courts. He served as counsel to several U.S. steel producers in the successful Section 201 investigation on steel products.

Dempsey also previously served as counsel to Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO) and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. While on the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee, he participated in the development of the acid rain cap-and-trade system established by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Later, while serving on Senator Danforth’s personal staff and again on the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee, he played a key role in the drafting of the implementing legislation for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the GATT Uruguay Round Trade Agreements.

Dempsey has, and continues to, work extensively on international trade negotiations given his considerable experience with U.S. and international law related to subsidies, trade remedies, market access, intellectual property rights, and product standards, as well as U.S. legislative procedures for authorizing and implementing trade agreements.

Dempsey received his Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington University in St. Louis.

John Neuffer is President and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), which has been the voice of the chip industry for over four decades. He has been at the nexus of technology, public policy, and trade for most of his career. Since joining SIA in 2015, John has led the association’s policy advocacy in Washington and capitals around the world to foster growth and innovation in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and research. John also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the world’s leading non-profit industry-government-academia microelectronics research consortium.

Prior to joining SIA, John served as Senior Vice President for Global Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council, where he led a global team to expand market access opportunities for member companies around the world. He directed all global government relations in trade, cybersecurity, standards, regulatory, Internet governance, and privacy.

Previously, John served for over seven years at the Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, DC: two years as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Affairs, preceded by over five years as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan.

Prior to his tenure with USTR, John was a Senior Research Fellow and Political Analyst with the Mitsui Kaijyo Research Institute in Tokyo for nine years. As a leading commentator on Japanese politics and policy at the institute, he published a widely read newsletter and wrote regular commentary for the Asian Wall Street Journal, TheStreet.com and Newsweek Japan. All told, John lived in Japan 11 years. He is a native of Montana and Washington State.

Kenneth Levinson is the Executive Director of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). WITA is Washington’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum in the U.S. capital for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA has over 4,000 members, and more than 170 corporate sponsors and group memberships.

Previously, Ken served as Senior Director for Global Government Affairs for AstraZeneca. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Ken served as Senior Vice President and COO at the Washington, DC consulting firm of Fontheim International. Ken started his career on the staff of U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, where he served as the Senator’s chief advisor for international trade, tax, foreign policy, and national security.

Ken received a Master’s degree in European History from New York University after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. Ken also spent a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Ken and his wife, the Reverend Donna Marsh, live in Bethesda, MD, with their two daughters.

The post WITA Webinar: Infrastructure, Trade and American Competitiveness appeared first on WITA.

On April 1, 2021, WITA held a WITA & WIIT Webinar on COVID-19 and Medical Supply Chains, and discussed the trade policy implications of proposed supply chain initiatives, and unpack the complexity of global supply chains.

Speakers discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, the unprecedented demand for medical goods among other items, and supply chain resilience and re-shoring.  

PROGRAM AGENDA

Welcome: 10:00 AM (US/Eastern)

• Kenneth I. Levinson, Executive Director, Washington International Trade Association

Remarks and Panelist Discussion: 10:05 AM

• Meredith Broadbent, Senior Advisor (Non Resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies, and author of the paper, Covid-19 Demand Shock and Preparedness Response.
• Jonathan Kimball, Vice President, Trade and International Affairs, Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM)
• Catherine Mellor, Vice President, UPS
• Moderator: Maddison Abboud, Manager, Global Health, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Followed by:

• Q & A with Audience Moderated by Ken – Webinar attendees are encouraged to use the Q&A function on the Zoom app to submit their questions in real time.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Maddison Abboud, Manager of Global Health, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. An international policy specialist who works at the intersection of business and international affairs, Maddison serves as the Manager of Global Health at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where she leads advocacy and policy initiatives focused on strengthening health systems, enabling digital health, and reducing non-communicable diseases.

Previously, Maddison worked with the U.S. Chamber’s African Affairs department where she worked closely with U.S. Chamber member companies, business coalitions, AmChams, government leaders, and business executives to achieve their business objectives across the continent.

Maddison received her B.A. in Economics and International Affairs from Penn State University (2016) and is a candidate for a M.A. in International Business and Policy from Georgetown University.

Meredith M. Broadbent is a Senior Adviser (Non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A former Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission and Commissioner (2012-2017), she served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications from 2002-2008. In that position, she was responsible for developing U.S. policy that affects trade in industrial goods, telecommunications, and e-commerce. She led the U.S. negotiating team for the Doha Round negotiations to reduce tariff and nontariff barriers on industrial goods. From 2008 to 2010, she was a Trade Advisor at the Global Business Dialogue. Earlier in her career, she served as a senior professional staff member with the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives. In that position, she drafted and managed major portions of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, legislation to authorize normal trade relations with China, and the Trade Act of 2002, which included trade promotion authority. She was instrumental in the development and House passage of the implementing bills for the North American Free Trade Agreement and Uruguay Round Agreements. Broadbent holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Middlebury College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the George Washington University School of Business and Public Management.  

Jonathan Kimball is the Vice President of Trade and International Affairs at the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM). He serves as senior strategist and advocate in partnership with the SVP, General Counsel, to direct the international trade strategy of AAM and represent the association and its member companies’ interests before the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, Congress, The White House and other stakeholders. He identifies public policy priorities and implements strategies to advance AAM’s trade and international affairs agenda.

Before joining AAM in February 2019, Jonathan was Managing Director, Healthcare Policy at Burson Cohn & Wolfe (formerly Burson-Marsteller). In this role he collaborated with pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, trade associations and other clients to develop public affairs and advocacy campaigns aimed at influencing the policy and regulatory environments in the United States and international markets. Previously he was Deputy Vice President at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), for which he developed and advanced external advocacy and communication efforts in partnership with senior U.S. and foreign government officials, Congressional staff, patient organizations and other trade associations.

Jonathan’s earlier career took him to Budapest, Hungary, for Freedom House and other NGOs. He earned a master’s degree in International Affairs/International Political Economy from American University and a BA from San Francisco State University.

Catherine Mellor joined UPS in 2019 and serves as vice president, International Trade, on the Public Affairs Team in Washington. In this role, Mellor is responsible for supporting the organization’s advocacy towards a sustainable and inclusive global trade agenda for UPS and its customers.  

Prior to joining UPS, Mellor spent 13 years at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where her most recent role was vice president of the organization’s Global Initiative on Health and the Economy (GIHE). The GIHE is a cross-industry platform that promotes the importance of health to workforce productivity and economic growth. Mellor was responsible for founding and launching the GIHE, as well as overseeing the creation of its corporate board, revenue goals, and managing its policy and advocacy agenda in six countries. 

Her previous roles at the Chamber focused on trade policy. As senior director for Asia, Mellor directed the organization’s work in support of the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiation, and led the international work in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. Mellor also designed a developed a number of investment focused programs for U.S. companies in Southeast Asia. 

Mellor spent four years in government as a research officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the Australian Embassy in Washington. During this time, she was part of the team that supported the negotiation and successful conclusion of the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. 

Mellor began her career in Washington in 2001 working for Congressman Darrell Issa. She is an Australian citizen and graduate of the University of Queensland.

Kenneth Levinson is the Executive Director of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). WITA is Washington’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum in the U.S. capital for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA has over 4,000 members, and more than 170 corporate sponsors and group memberships.

Previously, Ken served as Senior Director for Global Government Affairs for AstraZeneca. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Ken served as Senior Vice President and COO at the Washington, DC consulting firm of Fontheim International. Ken started his career on the staff of U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, where he served as the Senator’s chief advisor for international trade, tax, foreign policy, and national security.

Ken received a Master’s degree in European History from New York University after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. Ken also spent a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Ken and his wife, the Reverend Donna Marsh, live in Bethesda, MD, with their two daughters.

The post WITA & WIIT Webinar: COVID-19 and Medical Supply Chains appeared first on WITA.

On December 11, WITA welcomed members of the Ottawa Group to discuss key issues on their WTO agenda, including their proposal for a WTO Trade and Health Initiative to strengthen supply chains and ensure the free flow of medicines and medical supplies, their work on WTO reform, and ongoing negotiations on e-commerce and fisheries.

The Ottawa Group includes several key U.S. allies with whom the incoming Biden Administration can expect to work on these and other critical trade issues in the years to come.

Program Agenda

Welcome

• Kenneth I. Levinson, Executive Director, Washington International Trade Association

Remarks and Discussion

• H.E. Stephen de Boer, Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO
• H.E. Didier Chambovey, Switzerland’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO 
• H.E. Tan Hung Seng, Singapore’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO
• H.E. Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Geneva 
• H.E. George Mina, Australia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO
• Moderator, Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, President, National Foreign Trade Council, former Deputy Director-General of the WTO, and former US Ambassador to the WTO

Followed by:

• Q & A with Audience Moderated by Ken – Webinar attendees are encouraged to use the Q&A function on the Zoom app to submit their questions in real time.

 Event Close

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On Wednesday, July 29th WITA hosted a webinar with Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL), member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman LaHood discussed topics pertaining to U.S-China relations and trade.

Webinar Featuring:

Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL), member of the House Ways and Means Committee

Wendy Cutler, Vice President, and Managing Director, Washington D.C. office of the Asia Society Policy Institute

Webinar Summary: 

Moderator Wendy Cutler began the interview by asking Congressman LaHood about the goals and priorities of the Republican China Task Force, specifically what they are hoping to accomplish with regards to trade relations and competitiveness. The Congressman explained how the original intent was to create a bipartisan China task force, which fell through after the chaos of COVID-19. Now, the Task Force is composed of fifteen House Republicans divided into 5 subcommittees hoping to tackle issues such as transparency, human rights violations, national security, and economic relations. They meet several times a week (virtually) and are currently working on a comprehensive report set to be published in September that proposes legislation and policies about topics like Hong Kong, re-education camps, and forced labor. 

Wendy followed up by asking about the emphasis on increasing Chinese farm purchases, and how the Congressman thinks they’ve done with their Phase One Deal obligations thus far. He responded with worries, suggesting the progression has not been quick enough. China has committed to buy 200 billion dollars worth of products, 50-60 billion of that being agricultural products (which are very important in the Congressman’s district). While he wants China to move faster with regard to their purchasing obligations, he also disagrees with the administration’s hints about pulling out of the deal. He believes that this would be devastating politically as well as for our farmers. Furthermore, the real enforcement mechanisms come into play during Phase Two, so we need to make it through Phase One in order to get to this new level. 

The discussion moved towards which non-tariff tools the Task Force is considering using to leverage China. Congressman LaHood expressed his dislike for tariffs, as they are a form of taxation that places a burden on businesses and consumers. If the bilateral negotiations were to fall through, he hopes that more tariffs will not be the default action of the administration. He is also weary about focusing our efforts on reshoring supply chains, since the Chinese middle class is a huge market for us which makes it financially difficult to pull U.S. companies out of China. However, he places technology companies in another category, and considering their growing inability to operate freely in China, they should be treated differently and incentivized to reshore here. 

Lastly, the Congressman argued for a multilateral approach to dealing with China and using our allies, many of whom have similar issues with China, in order to isolate them on a global scale. He believes the digital and IP protection aspects of the USMCA will act as a good template for future agreements, as well as certain aspects of the TPP. Additionally, he advocates for a bipartisan movement to reform the WTO in order to make it more responsive. In the Q&A session, Congressman LaHood answered questions about public input for the China Task Force, benefits of the TPP, supply chains, and the Huawei situation. 

The post WITA Webinar: Discussion of U.S.-China Relations and Trade with Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) appeared first on WITA.

On Tuesday, July 7th WITA hosted a webinar with the American Leadership Initiative (ALI) with Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA), Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He will be discussing U.S.-China relations in a post-COVID-19 world.

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA), Founder U.S.-China Working Group, Member of the Armed Services and Transportation Committee

Dr. Orit Frenkel, Executive Director, American Leadership Initiative (ALI)

Webinar Summary:

The webinar began with Orit Frenkel giving a quick recap on the state of U.S. and Chinese trade relations: currently, the average tariff on Chinese products is 20%, and imports from China have fallen by 16%. She asked the Congressman about what he expected for the future of this relationship, to which he responded that he categorizes himself as a ‘salvager’ rather than a ‘punisher’ or ‘decoupler.’ In other words, he is a member of the U.S. – China working group in the House, and wishes to see an improved trade relationship with China in the future. 

Orit went on to ask about the role of our allies in this process, and Congressman Larsen explained how we have recently done significant harm to the relationships with our natural allies. Furthermore, he stated that China does not operate bilaterally, which makes them hard to deal with in a bilateral manner. He also discussed the reforms needed within the WTO while simultaneously expressing his support for the institution as a legitimate tool in influencing international trade policy. The Congressman believes that our past attempts at taking actions that bypass the WTO have not been very successful, and he does not support the ‘go our own way’ tactics employed by the current administration. 

They wrapped up the discussion with a conversation about the technology sector and how the U.S. needs to be more active within the standard setting bodies for the global technology sector. The Congressman criticized Chinese based technology companies, arguing that they reflect the government values of censorship, social control, and overall lack of privacy. In the Q&A session, the audience asked questions about supply chains and re-shoring, the current level of American support for large companies like Boeing, and the phase one deal with China.

The post WITA Webinar: U.S.-China Relations in a Post-Covid-19 World, Discussion with Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA) appeared first on WITA.

On June 25, WITA hosted a presentation with Rich Thau and Gina Derickson of Engagious, Jon Last of the Sports and Leisure Research Group, and Ron Bonjean of ROKK Solutions. This presentation includes findings of people’s willingness to re-engage in normal activities, such as a stay in a hotel, a fly on a plane, visit a retail store, go on a cruise, etc.; what conditions must be met before they’d be willing to re-engage; and (assuming the necessary assurances were made) how soon they would next return. 

Click to access the presentation:

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Rich Thau, President & Co-founder, Engagious

Jon Last, President, Sports and Leisure Research Group

Ron Bonjean, Partner, ROKK Solutions

Gina Derickson, Research Director, Engagious

Summary: In this webinar Ron Bonjean, Jon Last, Rich Thau, and Gina Derickson explore Americans attitudes towards returning to normal after a global pandemic. The webinar began with Ron Bonjean giving an overview of the activities people normally do versus what activities they have done in the past month. Rich Thau then presented data on people’s level of concern over medical, financial, and social unrest. The data showed a consistent drop in concern levels from phase five to phase six.

John Last then explored how willing the country is to resume normal activities and what those who are unwilling are waiting on before they believe the country is ready to reopen. He also provided insight on how likely Americans are to take legal action against their employers if they contract COVID-19 in the workplace breaking it down by demographic group.

Gina Derickson then relayed responses from the survey participants regarding vaccines and testing. While Thau and Last concluded their presentation exploring differing attitudes towards coronavirus based on age group and people’s willingness to continue working from home. The webinar finished with a Q & A session with the panelists.

The post WITA Webinar: Back-to-Normal Barometer appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, June 18th, WITA hosted a webinar with panelists who discussed why digital tools are more essential than ever in the midst of a global pandemic and enforced distancing across the world. Additionally, they discussed how policy makers are responding to this unprecedented change in the way we work, communicate and engage, and if trade policy up to the task.  

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Jake Colvin, Executive Director, Global Innovation Forum and Vice President, National Foreign Trade Council.

Javier Lopez Gonzalez, Senior Trade Policy Analyst, the (OECD) Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Ambassador Frances Lisson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the World Trade Organization.

Moderator: Wendy Cutler, Vice President, and Managing Director, Washington D.C. office of the Asia Society Policy Institute

Webinar Summary:

The webinar began with Moderator Wendy Cutler summarizing the trend of increasing use of digital tools within the trade community due to the COVID-19 crisis, including WTO e-commerce law negotiations and digital service taxes. Wendy then asked Jake Colvin about how the pandemic has accelerated the use of digital technologies by small businesses, and he noted the more frequent use of social media platforms to sell products and an overall reliance on e-commerce ecosystems to run product based businesses.

Javier Lopez Gonzalez elaborated on this trend in the context of the OECD, which has been employing  google mobility data to track changes. According to their findings, there has been a 56% reduction in workplace mobility and 20-30% increase in connectivity and internet traffic. He also suggested that trade can help to reduce the cost of accessing digital networks globally, and that barriers to digital services have increased along with the recent demand.

Wendy and Ambassador Lisson proceeded to dive into the ongoing WTO e-commerce negotiations that currently include 84 member states working on a joint statement. They have two plenary sessions upcoming in July, and the Ambassador emphasized the need to create a consolidated text as quickly as possible to address the obvious issues of data and privacy concerns.

In the following Q&A session led by WITA Executive Director Ken Levinson, the panelists were asked about how negotiations are taking place digitally, how to avoid a patchwork of multiple plurilateral agreements regarding e-commerce laws, and methodology for shipment and customs barriers to digitally sold services and products.

The post WITA Webinar: Digital Tools and Trade in a Global Pandemic appeared first on WITA.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, WITA co-hosted a webinar with the American Leadership Initiative (ALI) with Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. We discussed the future of trade in the wake of COVID-19, focusing on how we can maintain an open global trading system, and the role that the WTO can play in encouraging countries not to tax or restrict the export of medical equipment and limit the calls for onshoring supply chains.

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Dr.Orit Frenkel, Executive Director, The American Leadership Initiative & President, Frenkel Strategies

Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), Member of the House Ways & Means Committee

Webinar Summary:

This webinar discussed the future of trade in the wake of COVID-19, how international trade would affect it in the long term, and the importance of the WTO as a multilateral trading system. During this webinar, Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) recognized that the reforms in the 21st-century institution have not been working well. During this critical time with WTO, we’re facing a real crisis when it comes to peacefully resolving trade disputes at the global level. Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) believes that isn’t just goods and products, crossing borders. But it builds the support of multilateral trading system.

Moderator, Dr. Orit Frenkel asked Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) the following question “Why has the WTO become such a lightning rod in US politics and how can we get people back on the same page and understand the importance?” After this question was stated, Congressman Ron-Kind (D-WI) responded by saying, “we are going to need the help of today’s society, by getting into the offices in Capitol Hill, educate them about the work of the World Trade Organization and the role that it places”. Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) noted that we need to maintain a bipartisan consensus on trade support for the World Trade Organization. These reforms are long overdue within the Trump administration and they need to be incorporated. 

Lastly, the webinar concluded with Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), who shared with the viewers that this virus has allowed us to open up the discussion in a much more meaningful fashion of what the workforce skills and education are necessary to compete globally. How do we make it easier for people to be able to work, and balance life struggles. He believes that our administration hasn’t done a good job in international trading in the United States, compared to other nations. Hence, he suggested that we shouldn’t be afraid to look at other countries’s models and how they create multilateral trading system with other delegations.

The post WITA Webinar: Discussion with Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), Member of the House Ways & Means Committee appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, May 28, WITA co-hosted a webinar with the Asia Society Policy Institute on WTO and what the organization needs to do to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. 

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Mark Linscott, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council/Senior Advisor, The Asia Group and former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for WTO and Multilateral Affairs

Terence Stewart, former Managing Partner, Law Offices of Stewart and Stewart, and author of the blog, Current Thoughts on Trade

Nigel Cory, Associate Director, Trade Policy, Information Technology, and Innovation Foundation

Moderator: Wendy Cutler, Vice President, and Managing Director, Washington D.C. office of the Asia Society Policy Institute – Read Wendy Cutler and Nigel Cory’s recent article: Time For An Upgrade: Moving WTO Negotiations Into The Digital World

Webinar Summary:

This webinar discussed the WTO’s process and timeline for finding Roberto Azevedo’s successor as Deputy General, as well as the WTO’s need to go digital. Mark Linscott provided insight on what the selection process looked like back in 2012 when Azevedo was chosen. Linscott also conveyed that last time there was a geographic array of individuals and no geographical red lines in terms of the candidates. Additionally, Linscott noted that Azevedo’s ability to facilitate and not his desire to promote a specific agenda is what ultimately led to his selection.

Terry Stewart offered his thoughts on what the U.S. is looking for in the next Deputy General, stating they are likely looking for a Deputy General that has the capability to find a path forward in what seems to be impassable waters rather than a candidate from a specific geographical location. Stewart also suspects that the U.S. will not put anyone forward, but will be working behind the scenes to encourage certain countries to put forth a candidate.

Nigel Cory expressed that the WTO’s lack of digital readiness has caused some deals nearing the finishing line, such as fishery subsidies, to be delayed. Cory noted that some of this lack of digital readiness is due to some countries reluctance to allow digital negotiations. Wendy Cutler stated that while the finalizing of negotiations necessitates in person interactions, a lot of the early talks can be done digitally.

The webinar concluded with a Q & A session where the panelists responded to questions about why the WTO selection process and deputy general matters, WTO reform, and what it would take for the WTO to move towards digital negotiations.

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