On September 13, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new measures related to de minimis shipments to the United States, including from online marketplaces. Panelists discussed the White House proposals, its use of executive authorities to address this issue, and proposed legislation.

Featured Speakers:

Ralph Carter, Staff Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, FedEx

Kim Glas, President & CEO, National Council of Textile Organizations; Commissioner, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 

Melissa Irmen, Director of Advocacy, NAFTZ-National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones

John Pickel, Senior Director, International Supply Chain Policy, National Foreign Trade Council

Felicia Pullam, Executive Director, Office of Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Moderator: Ana Swanson, Trade and International Economics Reporter, The New York Times

Speaker Biographies:

Ralph Carter is Staff Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at FedEx. Mr. Carter leads a team of regulatory attorneys responsible for compliance and policy advocacy at FedEx.  Areas of responsibility include aviation law, security, customs, export controls, workplace safety and trade policy.  Mr. Carter also coordinates global regulatory and trade policy across all FedEx international regions. Mr. Carter’s team advocates for simpler, more open trade rules that reduce barriers and help FedEx customers expand their international business. Mr. Carter is a frequent speaker and contributor to international trade and economic policy organizations including APEC, the WTO, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.  Mr. Carter has also served as Managing Director in the legal department of FedEx’s Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Brussels Belgium.  Prior to FedEx, Mr. Carter served in the State Department as Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union.

Kim Glas is the President & CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations; and Commissioner of theU.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 

Commissioner Kimberly Glas was reappointed by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for a term expiring December 31, 2024. She served as Vice Chair of the Commission for the 2022 report cycle.

Commissioner Glas joined the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) in May 2019 as President and CEO representing domestic manufacturers of textiles and apparel.

She has over two decades experience in government and policy advocacy focused on economics, trade, and manufacturing.

She served as Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, a non-profit partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations. In that capacity, she led an organization that works to advance policies to help achieve a stronger economy and a more sustainable future at the intersection of energy, the environment, and trade.

Before leading the BlueGreen Alliance, Commissioner Glas served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In that role, she worked to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the broad product range of U.S. industries. 

Commissioner Glas served for a decade on Capitol Hill working extensively on manufacturing, trade, and economic policy issues for Congressman Michael H. Michaud from Maine and Congressman John J. LaFalce from New York. As Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Michaud, she led efforts to establish the House Trade Working Group, a key coalition of Members of Congress that works extensively on trade policy and domestic competitiveness issues to this day.

Ms. Glas earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Melissa Irmen is Director of Advocacy & Strategic Relations and joined the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) to execute the association’s advocacy vision plan, sponsorship development, specialized membership initiatives, and other program management. Melissa plays a pivotal role in building strategic partnerships and enhancing the membership experience while driving impactful change within the FTZ community.

Melissa has over 20 years of experience in the Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) industry, most recently as Senior Vice President at ISCM, Inc., a Washington, DC based consulting firm helping companies with FTZ applications, setup, technology, and regulatory agency insight. Melissa is an Accredited Zone Specialist and served as Chair on the Board of Directors for the NAFTZ. Melissa is an active participant in various international trade initiatives and organizations and speaks regularly on global trade topics. She provides technology and trade expertise to many CBP working groups, including, most recently, one focused on utilizing Emerging Technologies.

John Pickel is Senior Director of International Supply Chain Policy at the National Foreign Trade Council, the leading business association dedicated solely to advancing the interests of U.S. companies in international commerce.

In this role, John sets strategic direction and executes efforts to promote efficient, resilient and stable supply chains. This includes advancing policies related to anticounterfeiting, product safety, environmental sustainability, human and labor rights, and preventing illicit trade. He also promotes the implementation of trade facilitation measures and customs best practices across government agencies and international organizations to increase predictability and enable compliance with U.S. trade laws.

John previously served as the Principal Director of Trade and Economic Competitiveness in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (Policy), where he was a primary trade and supply chain policy advisor to agency leadership, served as the DHS representative to various interagency groups and processes, and led implementation of trade-related initiatives across DHS components.

Prior to joining DHS Policy, John served in various roles at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over a decade. More recently, he was the Counsellor to the Commissioner for trade facilitation and enforcement matters. In addition to advising CBP executives on trade policy issues, John led engagement with senior administration officials, the trade community, and others to inform the development and implementation of CBP trade priorities. Earlier, John coordinated CBP Congressional Affairs efforts related to trade policy. In this role, he worked closely with Members of Congress and senior staff to shape legislation including the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) and Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act.

John has represented companies, nonprofit organizations, and cities before Congress and federal agencies at a government relations firm and worked in a leadership office in the U.S. House of Representatives.

John is a graduate of The George Washington University (B.A., Political Science).

Felicia Pullam is the Executive Director, in the Office of Trade Relations (OTR). 

Prior to joining CBP, Ms. Pullam served as the Director of Strategy for the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in Baltimore.  She has worked on trade issues from both the state and federal perspective: she served at the Delaware Department of State, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the Obama Administration, Ms. Pullam helped steer SelectUSA, a presidential initiative housed within Commerce, during a high-pressure start-up phase to promote the United States as the leading global destination for foreign direct investment. Ms. Pullam was then appointed to be Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials, where she managed three offices to analyze and implement trade policy covering a large swath of the global economy.

Prior to her government service, Ms. Pullam spent nearly a decade in China. She led the Asia regional corporate responsibility and sustainability practice for APCO Worldwide, assisting American companies on stakeholder engagement and a range of supply chain challenges. She began her career in Guangzhou through the Princeton in Asia program, followed by a yearlong adventure as tutor and translator for actress Zhang Ziyi.

Ana Swanson is a domestic correspondent at The New York Times. She writes about trade and international economics. She previously covered the economy, trade and the Federal Reserve for The Washington Post.

Before that, Ana was an editor of Foreign Policy’s South Asia Channel and the editor-in-chief of China Economic Review magazine in Shanghai.

She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Northwestern University and a master’s in international relations with a focus in China and international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.

Before moving to Washington, D.C., she lived and worked in China for eight years.

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On Tuesday, November 9th, WITA and the International Trade Center DC welcomed Frank Lavin to discuss his new book, “The Smart Business Guide to China E-Commerce“, and looked at how consumer brands can take advantage of this revolution in Chinese consumer behavior.

WITA Webinar Featuring:

Frank Lavin, author of “The Smart Business Guide to China E-Commerce“, Chairman of Export Now

Andrew Gelfuso, Vice President, Trade Center Management Associates

Maxwell Kahn, President, Coresight Research

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Frank Lavin is the CEO and founder of Export Now, a U.S. firm that operates e-commerce stores in China for international brands. Established in 2010, Export Now is the largest off-shore operator of China e-commerce stores, helping brands from around the world in strategy and operations.

In Government, Lavin served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce 2005-2007. In that capacity, Lavin served as lead trade negotiator for both China and India and was the senior policy official in the Department responsible for commercial policy, export promotion, and trade negotiations across the globe. Lavin was U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 2001-05, where his duties included helping negotiate the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

In the private sector, Lavin served in senior finance and management positions in Hong Kong and Singapore with Edelman, Bank of America, and Citibank.

Previously, Lavin served in the George H.W. Bush and Reagan Administrations, working in the Department of Commerce, Department of State, National Security Council, and White House. Lavin served as Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs.

Lavin earned a B.S. from the School of Foreign Service (Georgetown); an M.S. in Chinese Language and History (Georgetown); an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies (Johns Hopkins); and an M.B.A. in Finance at the Wharton School (Pennsylvania).

He is a columnist for Forbes.com and has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other Periodicals. Lavin is the author of “The Smart Business Guide to China E-Commerce,” (Penguin), and co-author of “Export Now,” (Wiley) on market entry strategies. He also authored a World War II history book, “Home Front to Battlefront” (Ohio University Press).

Lavin serves as a Trustee of The Asia Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Advanced MedTech Holdings, a medical technologies company. He is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors and on the Advisory Board of ECIPE, a Brussels think-tank. Lavin previously served as Steering Committee Chairman of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo USA Pavilion. Lavin served as a Lt Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves.

Maxwell Kahn is the President of Coresight Research. Maxwell hails from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Business School. He began his career at McKinsey and then he further developed his expertise in the consumer at Johnson & Johnson and Merck in both operating and venture investing roles.

Before Coresight, Max spent five years between two roles for Wiser Together as a board member and ultimately CEO. Max understands the importance of delivering a great retail experience supported by strong technology. This expertise has exemplified his career in banking, consulting and investing.

Andrew F. Gelfuso is Vice-President at Trade Center Management Associates (TCMA), a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of the Boston based Drew Company. TCMA serves as the fullservice, property management company for the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. This facility is also designated as the official World Trade Center of Washington, DC, which is part of the global network of the Centers with affiliates in over 90 countries around the world. As Vice-President, Mr. Gelfuso leads the global mission of the Center while focusing on international business development, program promotion, business matchmaking, outreach, trade counseling, strategic partnerships, government, and diplomatic relations.

Under Mr. Gelfuso’s leadership, the Office for Trade Promotion is responsible for driving the Congressional mandate of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and for positioning the Center to be Washington’s focal point for a wide array of international trade, cultural, and educational programming.

Mr. Gelfuso graduated in 1997 from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, with a degree in Political Science. He earned his MBA with a concentration in International Business in 2001 from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. In the spring of 1996, he earned a certificate from Vietnam National University in Vietnamese. Mr. Gelfuso has authored articles on international trade which have been published in several newspapers.

Mr. Gelfuso serves on the board of the Embassy Series, the Corporate Committee for the National Trust for the Mall, the District Export Council of DC/VA (DEC), and serves as an advisor on the Administration’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC) appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.

The post WITA Webinar: How Consumer Brands Can e-Succeed in China appeared first on WITA.