Environmental Policy Archives - WITA http://www.wita.org/event-videos-topics/environmental-policy/ Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:49:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 /wp-content/uploads/2018/08/android-chrome-256x256-80x80.png Environmental Policy Archives - WITA http://www.wita.org/event-videos-topics/environmental-policy/ 32 32 Green Industrial Policy and Trade /event-videos/green-industrial-policy/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:00:55 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=35087 On November 9, panelists joined WITA to discuss green industrial policy; how the U.S. is positioned to compete in this critical global marketplace; and where the U.S. will likely need...

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On November 9, panelists joined WITA to discuss green industrial policy; how the U.S. is positioned to compete in this critical global marketplace; and where the U.S. will likely need to find international partners.

Over the past 18 months, the United States has passed several major pieces of legislation that contain environmental provisions with trade implications, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure Act of 2021 and the CHIPS for America Act. How can U.S. industrial policies help the United States achieve its climate objectives? And how can such policies create opportunities for trade and other forms of international cooperation that could lead to greater and faster deployment of low-carbon technologies?

 

Featured Speakers:

Sophie Beckham, Chief Sustainability Officer, International Paper

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Director of the Climate and Energy Program, Third Way

Vanessa Sciarra, Vice President, Trade & International Competitiveness, American Clean Power Association

Moderator: Maureen Hinman, Co-Founder, Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator

 

Speaker Biographies

Sophie Beckham

Sophie Beckham is Chief Sustainability Officer at International Paper, where she leads the development and execution of the company’s sustainability strategy and tactics to advance the International Paper vision of being among the most successful, sustainable and responsible companies in the world. 
 
Prior to joining International Paper, Ms. Beckham applied her training as a forester to work in domestic and foreign contexts, holding positions with forest management organizations and home furnishings retailers. Sophie’s interest in the transformation of materials into products that people use every day stems from a lifetime spent exploring the ways in which people rely on natural resources, and in turn, the impact our decisions have on people and planet. Early formative experiences on trails, in tents, and in forests and foreign countries, contributed to a professional journey that has been dedicated to advancing sustainable business practices in consumer goods and manufacturing sectors for the past 18 years.
 
She holds a Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Director of the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way. Growing up with two parents, a grandfather, three aunts, and two uncles in the real estate business, Ryan learned a lot while tagging along at open houses. Seeing his mom restructure a deal three times before getting it closed taught him to appreciate creative problem-solving. Watching his dad work with plumbers and exterminators to resolve last-minute emergencies showed him the value of resourcefulness and quick thinking. And observing business relationships lasting over a decade demonstrated the importance of getting to know your clients. After all, you can’t help them unless you truly understand their needs. These skills from the business world have served Ryan well on the campaign trail and on Capitol Hill, and they continue to guide his work in federal policy.
 
As Director of the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way, Ryan oversees the organization’s deep decarbonization efforts, including work on advanced nuclear technologies, carbon capture and storage, and alternative fuels and vehicles. Across this portfolio, Ryan’s efforts are focused on developing and promoting policy solutions that “thread the needle” to meet America’s climate and economic growth needs. By developing relationships with stakeholders in advocacy, industry, federal agencies and on Capitol Hill, Ryan builds a well-rounded understanding of complex energy issues beyond their talking points—and uses that understanding to help Third Way influence policy debates through written products, direct outreach to policymakers, coalition-building, and educational events.
 
Ryan graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with a degree in Spanish and International Studies. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Asheville, NC and began working as deputy finance director on the congressional campaign of first-time candidate Heath Shuler. Upon his victory in 2006, Shuler asked Ryan to join his Washington office to advise him on energy, transportation, and environmental policy. After four years serving a moderate Democrat who was highly engaged in forging creative and bipartisan policy initiatives, Ryan came to Third Way and quickly felt right at home.
 
Though he enjoys using the problem-solving skills he learned from his parents to advance clean energy policy, Ryan maintains his North Carolina real estate broker’s license and rarely passes by an open house without stopping to take a quick peek. It’s in the blood, you could say.

 

Vanessa Sciarra

Vanessa P. Sciarra is the Vice President for Legal Affairs and Trade & Investment Policy at the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC). Vanessa previously served as Vice President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT). Her additional experience includes working in the private sector, most recently with the law firm of Cassidy Levy Kent LLP in their Washington, D.C. office. Her law firm experience included a broad range of international trade matters representing a diverse group of clients in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical devices, trucking, and shipping sectors.She advised these clients in the areas of customs, export controls, and economic sanctions compliance as well as antidumping and countervailing duty cases. She routinely appeared before the key U.S. trade agencies, including the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 
 
Prior to entering private practice, Vanessa served as an Assistant General Counsel with USTR in Washington, D.C. While in that position, she worked on the negotiation and implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), particularly with respect to services, investment and dispute settlement obligations. She also served as legal counsel during the negotiation of the General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS) and participated in the drafting of the Uruguay Round implementing bill. 
 
Vanessa has also served as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Division. In this position, she represented the U.S. government in cases involving the antidumping and countervailing duty laws, customs matters, and government contracts. She regularly briefed and argued cases before the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 
 
Vanessa is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. She earned her B.A., summa cum laude, in History from Yale College, her M.Sc., with distinction, in Economics (International Relations) from the London School of Economics, and her J.D. from the Yale Law School. 

 

Maureen Hinman

Maureen Hinman is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator. Ms. Hinman, a leading policy expert on the intersection of energy, environment, and the economy, most recently served as Director for Environment and Natural Resources at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. At USTR she led a range of multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade policy initiatives focused on the environmental goods and services sector as well as natural resource conservation. Ms. Hinman previously served as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s senior industry trade specialist responsible for international policy development and interagency advocacy for the U.S. environmental technology industry. Prior to entering federal service Hinman consulted on regional integration and trade policy implementation at Nathan Associates, a Washington-based economic policy consultancy. Ms. Hinman serves as a policy advisor for the Center for Climate and Trade. She was named a “2022 Tech Titan” by Washingtonian Magazine.

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]]> WITA’s Trade & Environment Series: Russian Energy Sanctions – A Trade Pivot to a Cleaner Future /event-videos/russian-energy-sanctions/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 14:05:09 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=33033 On Thursday, April 14th, WITA held a webinar discussing how the U.S., EU and other like-minded partners can work together to offset short term increases in fossil fuel production outside...

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On Thursday, April 14th, WITA held a webinar discussing how the U.S., EU and other like-minded partners can work together to offset short term increases in fossil fuel production outside of Russia by moving quickly to facilitate trade in environmental goods and technology; to accelerate the move to other, renewable sources of energy; and to guard against future supply shocks.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Andreas Goldthau, Research Group Leader, IASS Potsdam; Franz Haniel Chair for Public Policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt

Maureen Hinman, Co-Founder and Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator; Former Director for Environment and Natural Resources in the Office of the United States Trade Representative

Vanessa Sciarra, Vice President, Trade & International Competitiveness at the American Clean Power Association

Moderator, Henning Gloystein, Director, Energy, Climate & Resources, Eurasia Group

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Henning Gloystein

Henning Gloystein is the Director of Energy, Climate, and Resources at the Eurasia Group. Based in London, Henning covers geopolitical risk in oil and natural gas supplies, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and the environmental pressures that urbanization and industrialization has on emerging market economies and on natural resource supply chains. Prior to returning to London in 2021, Henning was based in Singapore for seven years, covering the rise of Asia/Pacific to become the world’s biggest consuming region of natural resources. Before joining Eurasia Group in 2019, Henning was Asia energy editor and deputy editor in charge for Asian commodities at Reuters. Before that, he led Reuters’s European power, gas, and coal coverage from London. Henning was introduced to the world of energy and commodities working for Platts in London, where he led the European power pricing team during the region’s market liberalization period.

Andreas Goldthau

Dr. Andreas Goldthau is the Research Group Leader of the ISIGET project focusing on energy justice and the Global South at IASS Potsdam. He holds the Franz Haniel Chair for Public Policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt. Before joining IASS Professor Goldthau served as Professor in International Relations at Royal Holloway College, University of London and as Professor at Central European University’s School of Public Policy. He was a Marie Curie Senior Fellow with the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard Kennedy School and an Adjunct Professor with John Hopkins’ MSc program in energy policy and climate. He also held postdoctoral appointments at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, the RAND Corporation and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. His academic interests lie in the political economy of the low carbon transition, energy security and global energy governance.

Maureen Hinman

Maureen Hinman is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator. Ms. Hinman, a leading policy expert on environmental industry, most recently served as Director for Environment and Natural Resources at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. At USTR she led a range of multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade policy initiatives focused on the environmental goods and services sector as well as natural resource conservation. Ms. Hinman previously served as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s senior industry trade specialist responsible for international policy development and interagency advocacy for the U.S. environmental technology industry. Prior to entering federal service Hinman consulted on regional integration and trade policy implementation at Nathan Associates, a Washington-based economic policy consultancy.

Vanessa Sciarra

Vanessa Sciarra is the Vice President Trade & International Competitiveness at the American Clean Power Association.In this role, she will focus on addressing key challenges and opportunities the industry faces in supply chain, domestic production, trade imports and exports, and workforce. Her purview includes legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives.

Prior to ACP, Sciarra was vice president of legal affairs and trade and investment policy at the National Foreign Trade Council for the past four years. She brings extensive experience in international trade matters in the federal government, having previously served in the roles of vice president of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, and as assistant general counsel with the Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). A member of the District of Columbia Bar, she has also been in private practice at the law firms of Cassidy Levy Kent LLC and Holland & Knight LLP.

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]]> Trade Links: New Rules for a New World /event-videos/trade-links-new-world/ Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:55:02 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=32780 On Wednesday, March 23, WITA partnered with the Institute for International Economic Policy for a hybrid event. Former Congressman James Bacchus discussed that the World Trade Organization is undergoing an...

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On Wednesday, March 23, WITA partnered with the Institute for International Economic Policy for a hybrid event. Former Congressman James Bacchus discussed that the World Trade Organization is undergoing an existential crisis. He highlighted that this global organization can survive and will continue to succeed but only if the trade links among WTO members are revitalized and reimagined. He explained how to bring the WTO into the twenty-first century, exploring the ways it can be utilized to combat future pandemics and climate change and advance sustainable development, all while continuing to foster free trade.

Featured Remarks:

Alyssa Ayres, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, former senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia and current adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

Discussion Featuring:

James Bacchus, Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs, Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity of the University of Central Florida, founding judge and twice Chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization

Moderator: Jay Shambaugh, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Director of the Institute for International Economic Policy at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES:

Alyssa Ayres is the Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Her work focuses primarily on India’s role in the world and on U.S. relations with South Asia in the larger Indo-Pacific. Before joining the Elliott School, she was a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia under the Obama administration. She holds a Ph.D. in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago.

James Bacchus is a Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity of the University of Central Florida. He was a founding judge and was twice Chairman – the chief judge – of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. He is a former Member of the Congress of the United States, from Florida, and a former US trade negotiator.

He serves on the United States Leadership Council of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, served on the High-Level Advisory Panel to the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, chaired the global council on governance for sustainability of the World Economic Forum, and chaired the Commission on Trade and Investment Policy of the International Chamber of Commerce.

He is adjunct scholar for the Cato Institute in Washington, DC; global fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Canada; distinguished fellow of the European Institute for International Law and International Relations, and Pao Yue-Kong University Chair Professor of international law at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.

Professor Bacchus is the author of Trade and Freedom (London: Cameron May, 2004); The Willing World: Shaping and Sharing a Sustainable Global Prosperity (London: Cambridge University Press, 2018), named one of the “Best Books of the Year” by the Financial Times of London; and, with co-author Inu Manak, The Development Dimension: Special and Differential Treatment in Trade (London: Routledge Press, 2021). His new book, Trade Links: New Rules for a New World, will be published by Cambridge University Press in early 2022.

Jay Shambaugh is a Professor of Economics and International Affairs, and Director of the Institute for International Economic Policy at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University.

His area of research is macroeconomics and international economics. He has had two stints in public service. He served as a Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors from 2015-2017. Earlier, he served on the staff of the CEA as a Senior Economist for International Economics and then as the Chief Economist. He also spent 3 years as the Director of the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution. Jay is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the NBER and Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings.

Prior to joining the faculty at George Washington, Jay taught at Georgetown and Dartmouth and was a visiting scholar at the IMF. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts, and a B.A. from Yale University.

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]]> WITA’s Trade & Environment Series: Fair and Clean Trade in Steel and Aluminium /event-videos/clean-steel-aluminum/ Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:13:59 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=32485 On Thursday, February 24, WITA held its Trade & Environment Series and discussed the intersection of industrial subsidies, trade and climate change by focusing on two energy-intensive and trade exposed...

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On Thursday, February 24, WITA held its Trade & Environment Series and discussed the intersection of industrial subsidies, trade and climate change by focusing on two energy-intensive and trade exposed sectors: steel and aluminum. 

Panelists discussed how like-minded countries can work together to level the playing field on trade while moving toward more environmentally sustainable steel and aluminum production.

WITA Webinar Featuring:

Julia Nielson, Deputy Director, Trade & Agriculture, OECD

Alan Price, Partner and Chair of the Trade Practice, Wiley Rein LLP

Buddy Stemple, Chief Executive Officer, Constellium Rolled Products; Chairman, Board of Directors, Aluminum Association

Moderator: Ken Ash, Visiting Fellow at the Institute for International Trade (Adelaide), and former OECD Director of Trade and Agriculture. He is also a part-time advisor to aluminum associations representing companies in the US, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 

Julia Nielson: As Deputy Director of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD), Ms Nielson helps oversee work to develop and communicate evidence-based advice to governments with the aim of helping them improve the domestic and international performance of their policies in the areas of trade, food, agriculture and fisheries.

Ms. Nielson has over 20 years’ experience in multilateral trade and development, strategy and management. She was previously Head of the Emerging Policy Issues Division in TAD, with responsibility for issues including digital trade, and the level playing field. Prior to that, she worked for the World Bank Group (WBG), including in the office of the then-President of the WBG, Bob Zoellick.

Ms. Nielson began her international career in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, following which she joined the OECD Trade Directorate, working on trade in services. Ms Nielson left the OECD in 2005 to join the Trade Department of the WBG. Ms Nielson holds a Bachelor of Arts Hons (1st class) and a Masters in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University.

Alan Price has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in high-profile, complex international trade regulatory matters, including trade litigation involving public and government relations issues. In addition to being chair of the firm’s International Trade Practice, he heads the firm’s antidumping and countervailing duty practice. He also counsels clients on bilateral and multilateral agreements, trade legislation, customs regulation, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance issues, escape clause investigations, and World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute resolution. Regularly rated by Chambers USA as one of the nation’s “Leading Lawyers” in his field, Alan “gets solid results consistently” (2016) and is commended for his “big-picture oriented approach” (2014). Clients have described him as “attentive, responsive and insightful” (Chambers USA 2017) and as “a ‘go to’ lawyer” who is “knowledgeable, efficient and client focused” (The Legal 500 US 2013).

Lloyd A. “Buddy” Stemple, originally from West Virginia earned a B.S. Industrial Engineering and Masters in Business Administration from West Virginia University and a Masters in Practicing Management from McGill University in Montreal.  Buddy began his career in the Aluminium industry in 1979 with Kaiser Aluminium and moved to Alcan Aluminium/Novelis in 1983 where he held various positions in Operations, Human Relations, Sales & Marketing ,up to Vice President & General Manager of Novelis Specialty Product through 2009.   Buddy joined the Oman Aluminium Rolling Company (OARC) in 2010 as Chief Executive Officer and has overseen the establishment of the facility, organization and marketing plans for the company.  OARC is a 140,000 ton per year light gauge rolling facility located in Sohar Oman.   The world class facility provides light gauge aluminium sheet to the food, heat exchanger and construction industries.  In March of 2014, Buddy was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Constellium Ravenswood LCC in Ravenswood WV.    Buddy returned to his home town to lead the Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood which is an industry leader in aerospace plate, General Engineering plate and Specialty rolled products.

Buddy is also a Director of Pathfinder Bank Holding Company (NASDAQ: PBHC), an Upstate New York Community Bank Holding Company of Pathfinder Bank based in Oswego, NY with assets of $1.2 billion.     He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Aluminum Association and is currently the Association’s Chairman.   He has also served as the Chairman of the Automotive and Light Truck Group for the US Aluminum Association focusing on vehicle light-weighting with aluminium products.

Ken Ash was Director of Trade and Agriculture at the OECD between 2008 and September 2020, having served as Deputy Director since 1999. Ken led OECD efforts to develop and communicate evidence-based advice to governments with the aim of improving the domestic and international performance of trade, food, agriculture, and fisheries policies. Prior to joining the OECD Ken had extensive experience in the Government of Canada. As Director General, Economic and Policy Analysis (1995-99) he provided strategic policy advice on agriculture and trade policy issues and on government-wide policy and institutional reforms.

Ken is the founder of Ash Global Insights, a consultancy service on international trade and agriculture policies, with a particular emphasis on subsidy reform, value chains, and food systems, and is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for International Trade, Adelaide.

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]]> 2022 Washington International Trade Conference Recap /event-videos/2022-witc-recap/ Tue, 01 Feb 2022 20:40:11 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=32243 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...

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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

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]]> WITA Webinar: How Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms Fit in the Trade (and Environmental) Tool Box /event-videos/how-cbam-fit/ Wed, 12 May 2021 15:14:22 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=27445 On May 12, WITA discussed how carbon border adjustment measures (CBAM) fit in the context of national and multilateral efforts to reduce carbon’s impact on climate change.  WITA Webinar Featuring: Dave...

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On May 12, WITA discussed how carbon border adjustment measures (CBAM) fit in the context of national and multilateral efforts to reduce carbon’s impact on climate change. 

WITA Webinar Featuring:

Dave Banks, Fellow at Bipartisan Policy Center, Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council 

Andrew Shoyer, Partner and Co-Lead, Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy,  Sidley 

Madelaine Tuininga, European Commission, DG Trade Head of Unit for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal

Moderator: Samantha Gross, Director, Energy Security and Climate Initiative, Brookings 

 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

George David Banks is Executive Vice President at the American Council for Capital Formation. He is an economist, political consultant, and policy advocate, focusing on energy, environment, and trade. Banks has published reports and opinion editorials on a variety of policy issues, including climate change, civil nuclear power, and energy markets and trade. He is also a fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and a member of the ClearPath Foundation’s advisory board. Most recently, he served as President Donald Trump’s Special Assistant for International Energy and Environment at the National Economic and National Security Councils – a position that required him to manage workstreams related to his portfolio across the federal government.
 
Samantha Gross is a Fellow and Director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution. Her work is focused on the intersection of energy, environment, and policy, including climate policy and international cooperation, energy efficiency, unconventional oil and gas development, regional and global natural gas trade, and the energy-water nexus.
 
Gross has more than 20 years of experience in energy and environmental affairs. She has been a visiting fellow at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, where she authored work on clean energy cooperation and on post-Paris climate policy. She was director of the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. In that role, she directed U.S. activities under the Clean Energy Ministerial, including the secretariat and initiatives focusing on clean energy implementation and access and energy efficiency. Prior to her time at the Department of Energy, Gross was director of integrated research at IHS CERA. She managed the IHS CERA Climate Change and Clean Energy forum and the IHS relationship with the World Economic Forum. She also authored numerous papers on energy and environment topics and was a frequent speaker on these topics. She has also worked at the Government Accountability Office on the Natural Resources and Environment team and as an engineer directing environmental assessment and remediation projects.
 
Gross holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Stanford, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.
 
Andrew Shoyer co-Leads Sidley’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice. Andy focuses on the implementation and enforcement of international trade and investment agreements. Andy also advises companies on compliance with sanctions administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and export controls and anti-boycott rules administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), as well as proceedings before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Drawing on his experience at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and with the World Trade Organization (WTO), Andy advises companies, trade associations and governments on the use of WTO, USMCA and other treaty-based trade and investment rules to open markets and resolve disputes. He works extensively with manufacturers and service providers on WTO compliance in Asia and on protection of intellectual property in bilateral and regional free trade negotiations.
 
Andy spent seven years at USTR, serving most recently as legal adviser in the U.S. Mission to the WTO in Geneva. He was the principal negotiator for the United States of the rules implementing the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding and has briefed and argued numerous WTO cases before dispute settlement panels and the WTO Appellate Body. Prior to his arrival in Geneva, Andy was assistant general counsel at USTR in Washington, D.C., where he served as principal legal counsel in the negotiation of the market access rules of the NAFTA, as well as the framework agreements with various Latin American countries. He also worked on numerous trade policy issues with the U.S. Congress and the economic agencies of the executive branch of the U.S. government. Most recently, Andy has been advising clients on various aspects of the legal and policy implications of Brexit.
 
Andy’s leadership in the international trade and dispute settlement arena is widely recognized. He is consistently ranked among the nation’s top international trade lawyers by Chambers USA and Who’s Who Legal. Andy has been ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA every year since 2013. The edition praised Andy as a “standout practitioner” who is highly esteemed by his peers for his proficiency in trade policy matters, particularly in relation to the WTO, and described him as “one of the best WTO lawyers there is.” Andy was recognized in the 2016 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Trade & Customs as a “Global Elite Thought Leader.” In the 2020 edition, he is described as a “superb WTO lawyer” who is particularly proficient in dispute settlement proceedings and “very attentive to client needs.” International Law Office has bestowed on Andy twice its “Client Choice Award” for client service in trade and customs law. In 2017, Andy was listed in The Legal 500’s the Hall of Fame. Andy is an adjunct professor in international trade and investment policy at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University.
 
Madelaine Tuininga is the DG Trade Head of Unit for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal, European Commission. The unit covers trade aspects of labour, environment, climate, gender, development and human rights, as well as crosscutting topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals and corporate social responsibility /responsible business conduct. Activities include policy development, negotiations and implementation in relation to these areas through unilateral, bilateral and multilateral trade instruments.  
 
Prior to that, she held management positions in trade defence investigations (2012-2015) and industrial sectors, raw materials, energy and market access (2007-2011). She was coordinator and market access negotiator for free trade agreements with Mexico, Chile and Mercosur (1998-2003) and for WTO accessions, including Russia (2004-2006)
 
Before joining the Commission (1995-1998), she worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands where she was policy officer for the US and Canada and for WTO dossiers on intellectual property and government procurement.
 
Madelaine has a law degree from the University of Amsterdam.
 
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.

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]]> WITA’s Trade & Environment Series: Trading for Good /event-videos/trading-for-good/ Tue, 20 Apr 2021 21:01:49 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=27157 On April 20, 2021, WITA discussed the efforts to increase trade in environmental goods, technologies and services through bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. PROGRAM AGENDA  Welcome: 4:00 PM (US/Eastern)...

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On April 20, 2021, WITA discussed the efforts to increase trade in environmental goods, technologies and services through bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements.

PROGRAM AGENDA 

Welcome: 4:00 PM (US/Eastern)

  • Kenneth Levinson, Executive Director, WITA

Remarks and Panelist Discussion: 4:05 PM

  • Sarah Thorn, Senior Director, Global Government Affairs, Walmart
  • Mark Linscott, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council/Senior Advisor, The Asia Group
  • Ambassador Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Moderator: Maureen Hinman, Co-Founder and Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator

Followed by:

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

OVERVIEW

On Tuesday, Silverado’s co-founder and executive chairman Maureen Hinman joined the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) for its virtual event “Trading For Good,” a panel discussion exploring efforts to increase trade in environmental goods, services, and technologies through bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. The event marked the second installment of WITA’s Trade and the Environment Series, a multipart event series co-sponsored by Silverado Policy Accelerator examining issues at the intersection of international trade and the environment.

Hinman moderated a wide-ranging discussion between three esteemed trade experts: Mark Linscott, the former assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asian Affairs and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Sarah Thorn, senior director of global government affairs for Walmart; and Ambassador Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand’s deputy secretary for trade and economics at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The event attracted a broad audience, including current and former government officials, academics, industry representatives, foreign envoys, and non-governmental stakeholders.

The panelists focused in particular on potential paths toward a new agreement to expand market access for environmental goods following the collapse of plurilateral negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2016.

Ambassador Vitalis argued that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which accounts for 60 percent of total global GDP, can play a vital role in laying the groundwork for a future agreement by building off the 2011 APEC 54 list. Vitalis said that New Zealand, APEC’s host nation this year, is hoping to begin building broad support for an expanded list of environmental goods, an issue that proved a fatal sticking point in the WTO negotiations.

“Given that APEC is both consensus-based and voluntary, we think that it’s an opportunity to develop a longer and more ambitious list, and then we hope that APEC economies will want to take that to Geneva as a contribution to the process there, and also for [other nations] to think of it as a reference point,” he said. “In the APEC context, it’s very much a ‘define-by-doing’ [mentality] … We’ve very conscious of how long it takes to negotiate [a list], so we’re very anxious to avoid a protracted process.”

Linscott raised the possibility that future negotiations could move forward without China at the table — an option which was seen among trade experts as unlikely in the past, but which has gained some traction following the collapse of the 2016 negotiations, largely as a result of China actions.

“The question is, should China be at the table?” said Linscott. “Certainly there’s a free-rider problem if China is out, but given [past] experience, with China in, do we ever get to an agreement?”

Linscott also argued that an interim agreement on environmental goods could potentially provide a stepping-stone toward a broader agreement — an option that Hinman proposed in a recent op-ed for WITA — but noted that such an approach could run afoul of WTO principles.

“I think [an interim agreement] prompts a necessary discussion in the tariff world about the implications of [the most favored nation principle],” he said. “There’s this knee-jerk reaction that we have to protect that principle, but when there are concerns about free-riders — and one in particular — it should prompt healthy debate on the approach going forward.”

On the business side, Thorn presented Walmart’s case for a new environmental goods agreement, arguing that companies like Walmart would benefit from a trade agreement that lowered the costs of the green technologies that large companies need to meet their own environmental goals. Thorn also argued that there is broad-based support for a new agreement in the business community, noting that companies like Walmart have recognized that expanding access to green goods and services is not only the ethical path forward, but is also good for business.

“For us, this is about supply chain resilience and supply chain sustainability,” said Thorn. “We can’t just exhaust people and planet. We have to be thinking about how we’re going to renew if we’re going to be around in another, twenty, fifty, one hundred years.”

All participants said they were encouraged by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s recent comments on trade and the environment, in which she made a strong case for using trade policy to advance climate objectives but stopped short of delineating specific trade measures the United States supports.

“Traditionally, in order to get things done on trade and the environment, we’ve needed U.S. leadership,” said Ambassador Vitalis. “It’s all well and good for the keen, goody-two-shoes countries like [New Zealand] to say, ‘We need to get something done on trade and the environment’ … but we really do need U.S. leadership, U.S. engagement, and the U.S. leaning in to really drive this agenda forward.”

Linscott said he is optimistic that the Biden administration will push for renewed environmental goods negotiations.

“During the Obama administration, [officials] were following very closely the negotiations on environmental goods, and they were big cheerleaders for efforts to get a trade agreement that would have some benefits for the diffusion of environmental technologies,” he said. “Some of those people are still around and are working for [United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate] John Kerry, so I can imagine there being some degree of excitement for those who do climate negotiations with respect to a new initiative among trade negotiators on EGA — and that’s how it should be.”

Across the board, participants agreed that renewed negotiations would mark a major step forward in the global effort to combat climate change — although it remains too early to tell whether they will take place in APEC, the WTO, a bilateral or regional forum, or in all of the above.

“Let’s not pretend that trade is going to be the silver bullet to solve climate change, but trade can make a contribution,” said Vitalis. “I think that’s a very powerful message to our societies: trade is actually part of the solution here, not part of the problem.”

To view the original overview on the Silverado Policy Accelerator website, please click here.

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]]> 2021 Washington International Trade Conference Recap /event-videos/2021-washington-international-trade-conference-recap/ Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:00:49 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=26209 On Monday, February 8th, and Tuesday, February 9th, 2021, WITA hosted its third annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC) for the first time virtually. This conference brought together leaders in...

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On Monday, February 8th, and Tuesday, February 9th, 2021, WITA hosted its third annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC) for the first time virtually. This conference brought together leaders in both the public and private trade sectors to discuss pressing issues and trends surrounding trade policy. 

The event began with remarks from Kenneth I. Levinson, Executive Director of WITA, as he introduced the first group of panelists: Wendy Cutler, President and Managing Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Susan Shirk, Research Professor at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, Aaron L. Friedberg, Professor of Politics & International Affairs at Princeton University, and Ambassador Kurt Tong, Partner at The Asia Group, who shared their thoughts on how trade fits into the overall US-China relationship. 

The U.S. China panel was primarily focused around the overall US-China relationship and how trade fits into the larger picture. From joining the WTO to now, China has significantly increased its dominance in global trade, economic, and financial markets and has now become a credible threat to U.S. hegemony due to large economic pressure.

Looking forward to the Biden administration, the panelists discussed where we are now in our relationship with China, how the Biden review will be conducted, and how trade fits into this multi-faceted relationship. Over the past few months we have seen RCEP signed, the development of the China EU investment deal, and we have now heard talk about China reviving trilateral negotiations with Japan and Korea. The panelists explored the potential impact of the Biden review and present internal focus on China’s growing hegemonic status. 

The Trade & Environmental Sustainability Panel focused on the growing global concern of climate change and how this issue intersects with trade. As the United States has most recently rejoined the Paris Accords and a variety of new executive orders have underpinned the Biden administration’s focus on mitigating climate change, there has been a shift in the international system on the pertinence of this issue. It is important to recognize where the U.S. and its allies now stand on sustainable policies that influence trade and consider how realistic it would be for less developed countries to accommodate the necessary standard to fight climate change. 

The discussion focused on both the EU and New Zealand’s positions on climate change as they relate to trade and what we should center our negotiations on going forward. Although there is promise with the Biden administration on these issues, it is undetermined what the administration’s nationally determined contribution in the Paris agreement will be which will be an important indicator of the level of emissions and leadership role on climate change. The panelists were Amb. Robert Holleyman, Partner at Crowell & Morning LLP, C&M International, Amb. Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Madelaine Tuininga, DG Trade Head of Unit in the European Commission, and Himamauli Das, Senior Managing Director at K2 Integrity. 

The next panel centered around finding a way forward on digital trade and delved into the intersection between trade and technology. As more and more countries are considering how they may tax or regulate the space, this issue has become of increasing relevance. As digital tools are a crucial driver of U.S. economic growth, it is clear they present both an incredible opportunity for progress and new challenges. The panelists featured were Arrow Augerot, Director of America’s Public Policy at Amazon, Jason Oxman, President & CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, Sahra English, Vice President of Public Policy at Mastercard, and Peter Swire, Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird LLP. 

The final panel of the day was the Ambassadors Trade Roundtable with panelists: Amb. Susan Schwab, Mayer Brown LLP, Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, British Ambassador to the USA, Amb. Nestor Forster Brazil’s Ambassador to the USA, Amb. Stavros Lambrinidis EU Ambassador to the USA, and Amb. Arthur Sinodinos Australia’s Ambassador to the USA. The ambassadors shed light on the trade landscape from their perspectives and offered insight into what is important in their countries in dealing with the U.S. and other trading partners. The discussion later touched on the future of the WTO and what each ambassador saw as top priorities for the organization to address.

The second day of WITA’s virtual conference program opened with remarks from Kenneth I. Levinson, Executive Director of WITA and Amb. Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director General of the WTO. Amb. Alan Wolff shared his thoughts on necessary reform and revitalization of the WTO and how its role should evolve. Terence Stewart, author of the blog Current Thoughts on Trade, joined the discussion and gauged Amb. Wolff’s perspective on the WTO’s interest in engaging in more sectoral and regional trade agreements. 

The following panel built off of the previous discussion into a more in-depth conversation about WTO Revitalization & Reform from a broader group of perspectives. Many of the panelists highlighted the importance of improving our relationship with China, getting our dispute settlement system back on track and addressing pertinent 21st century issues such as those involving digital trade and climate change. The panelists featured were Amb. Rufus Yerxa, National Foreign Trade Council, Jennifer Hillman, Council on Foreign Relations, Simon Evenett from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and Hiddo Houben, EU Mission to the WTO.

The next panel centered around the question: “What would a Neo-Progressive Trade Agenda look like?” with panelists from around the world. The panel opened with an introductory discussion of how the WTO has lagged in recognizing the intersection of trade with other issues today and the importance of looking at things in a more wholistic way. Some of the speakers brought up issues related to the environment, gender and labor that requires a new model of trade in order to create shared prosperity and growth. The panelists featured were: Catherine Novelli, Listening For America, Beth Baltzan, American Phoenix Trade Advisory Service, Catherine Feingold AFL-CIO International Department, Katrin Kuhlmann, New Markets Lab, and Kimberley Botwright from the World Economic Forum. 

For the closing keynote and discussion of the conference, WITA was pleased to present Chairman Neal of the House Ways & Means Committee who offered his insight into the contours of trade policy in 2021 and Steve Lamar of the American Apparel & Footwear Association and WITA’s Board President. The Chairman stressed the importance of using trade tools to address many of the issues we face today and the promise of the Biden administration to tackle inequities and reassert U.S. leadership.  

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]]> WITC 2021: Trade & Environmental Sustainability  /event-videos/witc-2021-trade-environmental-sustainability/ Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:00:45 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=26202 On Monday February 8th, 2021, WITA hosted its third annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC).  Trade & Environmental Sustainability  Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President &...

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]]> On Monday February 8th, 2021, WITA hosted its third annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC). 

Trade & Environmental Sustainability 

  • Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President & CEO, C&M International; former Deputy United States Trade Representative
  • Ambassador Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Madelaine Tuininga, European Commission, DG Trade Head of Unit for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal
  • Himamauli Das, Senior Managing Director, K2 Integrity, and former Senior Director for International Trade and Investment, National Security Council

To view more information on the event, please click here. 

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]]> WITA Post-Election Analysis with The Trade Insiders /event-videos/wita-post-election-analysis/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 16:04:21 +0000 /?post_type=event-videos&p=24845 On November 12th WITA looked at what the U.S. Presidential election might mean for American trade policy in the years to come, with a bipartisan panel of experts who served...

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On November 12th WITA looked at what the U.S. Presidential election might mean for American trade policy in the years to come, with a bipartisan panel of experts who served in senior roles in Congress and the Administration. Welcome and Opening Remarks 

PROGRAM AGENDA

Welcome and Opening Remarks

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

Remarks and Discussion

  • Nasim Fussell, Partner, Holland & Knight; and former Chief International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
  • Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President & CEO, C&M International; and former Deputy USTR
  • Brian Pomper, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP; and former Chief International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
  • Stephen P. Vaughn, Partner, King & Spalding; and former USTR General Counsel, and Acting USTR
  • Moderator, Stephanie Lester, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Gap Inc.

Followed by:

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

Event Close

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Nasim Fussell is a trade attorney in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Fussell has a wealth of trade legislation and negotiation experience, having served in numerous trade-related roles in the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Fussell was the chief international trade counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, serving under Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). She also served as deputy chief international trade counsel under former chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Ms. Fussell worked with the Trump Administration on trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico (USMCA), Japan (U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement), China (China Phase One Agreement), the United Kingdom, Kenya, the European Union, India and Brazil, as well as negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), including on reform efforts, fisheries and e-commerce. Ms. Fussell led the Senate negotiations with the Trump Administration and U.S. House of Representatives on the USMCA Implementation Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in a divided Congress.

In addition, Ms. Fussell was trade counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means, where she served under three chairmen. In this role, she helped coordinate with the Obama Administration on Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, serving as staff lead on customs and rules of origin issues. As lead customs counsel, Ms. Fussell worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury on all customs matters before the committee. In this role, she worked on significant legislative achievements, including the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015, Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016.

Prior to joining government, Ms. Fussell served in a variety of trade and public policy roles in the private sector for a global technology company, a major automobile manufacturer and a cross-sectional trade association. She started her legal career as a law clerk in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chief Counsel for Import Administration.

Ambassador Robert Holleyman is the president and CEO of Crowell & Moring International and a partner in Crowell & Moring’s International Trade, and Privacy and Security groups. He advises clients on a range of trade and investment issues, including market access, global trade negotiations, tariffs, cross-border data flows, and privacy/cybersecurity, among other matters.

Ambassador Holleyman has significant trade, international business, economic policy, and legal experience from his service as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, as CEO of a highly successful information technology advocacy association, and work as counsel in the U.S. Senate. He served as Deputy United States Trade Representative from 2014-2017, with the rank of Ambassador.

In his most recent position, Ambassador Holleyman was responsible for U.S. trade and investment relations with Asia and with regional institutions, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. He led USTR’s negotiations with China, including the work of the annual Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and with India through the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF). In addition, Ambassador Holleyman was responsible for global trade policy in the areas of services, investment, intellectual property (IP), and innovation.

Ambassador Holleyman led the creation of a new Digital Trade Working Group within USTR to focus on trade policy and the digital economy and to advance U.S. negotiating priorities around digital trade. He developed and advanced USTR’s “Digital2Dozen,” a series of groundbreaking measures secured in the Asia-Pacific region that established rules promoting a free and open internet; expanded e-commerce; led to the free flow of cross-border data transfers; and enhanced cybersecurity, consumer privacy, competition in telecommunications networks, and disciplines to eliminate and prohibit barriers to new digital products and services.

Ambassador Holleyman served as a board member of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s global development financing institution. He represented USTR on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), reviewing foreign acquisitions of U.S. commercial entities for their impact on national security.

While in the private sector, Ambassador Holleyman was appointed by President Obama to serve as a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). He previously served as a member of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Services for the U.S. Department of Commerce and USTR. In earlier public service, Ambassador Holleyman was Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Legislative Director and Assistant to U.S. Senator Russell B. Long (D-LA); and Judicial Clerk to U.S. District Judge Jack M. Gordon of the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.

Ambassador Holleyman was President and CEO of BSA/The Software Alliance from 1990–2013, where he transformed an early stage enterprise into a global association representing the world’s software powerhouses across 65 countries with 16 foreign offices. At BSA, he positioned companies to address emerging standards, competition, IP, and innovation issues. Ambassador Holleyman has testified frequently before Congress and international bodies, and appeared in major media outlets in the U.S. and internationally on the topics of innovation, IP, emerging markets, export controls, encryption, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and cloud computing. He was named by Managing IP magazine as one of the “50 Most Influential People” in the intellectual property world, by the The Washington Post as a key private sector player in cybersecurity policy, and by Computer Reseller News as one of “20 To Watch” in the software industry. Previously, Ambassador Holleyman worked in commercial litigation with a law firm in Houston, Texas.

Ambassador Holleyman received his Juris Doctor degree from Louisiana State University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he was named its 2012 Distinguished Alumnus. He has studied at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, NM,an Honorary Trustee of the National Building Museum and has previously served as a board member of the Stephen Decatur House Museum and Food & Friends in Washington, DC. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the EastWest Institute and member of the Advisory Council at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Brian Pomper is a partner in the Public Law and Policy group at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP. He was a founding partner of Parven Pomper Strategies Inc., a political strategy and government relations consulting firm focusing on moderate, centrist Democrats in the House and Senate, that was acquired by Akin Gump in 2010.

Prior to founding his firm, Pomper was Chief International Trade Counsel for then-Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on the Democratic staff of the Senate Finance Committee. In that capacity, he was responsible for advising on all aspects of the Finance Committee’s trade and development agenda, including oversight of ongoing trade negotiations, market access issues, international trade litigation disputes, and customs issues; drafting legislation, speeches, newspaper editorials, and memoranda; and developing and implementing national and state political strategies.

Pomper was involved in virtually every major international economic issue that arose during his four years on the committee staff, including the ongoing Doha Round of World Trade Organization trade negotiations; bilateral issues with China, Japan, Europe, Mexico, Canada, India, Russia, and other important trading partners; economic sanctions against Cuba, Burma, and Syria; extension and changes to trade preference programs, including the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the Andean Trade Partnership Act (ATPA), the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); and numerous investment issues, including those surrounding Dubai Ports World’s proposed investment in a U.S. port.

He has worked on passage and implementation of nearly every trade agreement to pass the Congress since the Trade Act of 2002, including agreements with Chile, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Central America (CAFTA-DR), Oman, and Bahrain. He also oversaw negotiations with many other countries, including Thailand, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Korea, and the countries of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). He played a key role in many other bills, including the SAFE Port Act, extension of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Vietnam, miscellaneous tariff legislation, and the American Jobs Creation Act. Pomper has also worked on a variety of proposals to enhance U.S. trade enforcement and on many international trade disputes, including those involving intellectual property protections in China, Russia, and elsewhere; the Boeing-Airbus dispute; the U.S.-Canada softwood lumber dispute; the U.S.-EU dispute concerning international taxation; and unscientific standards and regulations on agricultural and biotech products, among others.

He is a frequent speaker and frequently quoted authority on international trade issues, and he is a trusted advisor to Democrats on international trade policy. Pomper worked on the staff of the Finance Committee from 2003 through 2006. From 1997 until 2003, he worked at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he focused on international trade, litigation, and intellectual property matters. Before entering private law practice, he served as a law clerk for the Hon. Sidney R. Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Billings, Montana.

He earned a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering with honors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a law degree magna cum laude from the Cornell University Law School, where he was managing editor of the Cornell International Law Journal. He is also a member of the Patent Bar. He also serves on the faculty of The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management as an adjunct professor focusing on international trade policy and politics.

Pomper and his wife Anne Kim, Principal of the policy consulting firm Blue Sky Concepts LLC, reside in McLean, Virginia with their sons Alexander and Elliot.

Stephen P. Vaughn is a Partner in the International Trade Team of King & Spalding who works primarily on international trade litigation and policy matters. In April 2019, Stephen completed more than two years of service as the General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In that position, he managed a team of government attorneys representing U.S. interests in both trade negotiations and trade litigation. During two months in early 2017, Stephen also served as the acting U.S. Trade Representative. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost authorities on current U.S. trade policy, as well as one of the most talented U.S. trade remedy litigators.

Stephen draws on his experience in both government and the private sector to help clients navigate challenging U.S. trade policy issues. While at USTR, Stephen was directly involved in numerous significant issues, including the new U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), actions undertaken by the United States against China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and efforts to revise the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. He also supervised U.S. litigation efforts before the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as litigation undertaken pursuant to other U.S. free trade agreements. Stephen represented the Administration in numerous meetings regarding U.S. trade policy with Congressional officials and officials from other countries.

Before working at USTR, Stephen spent almost two decades in private practice representing clients in high-profile trade matters. Much of his practice focused on injury issues in the context of antidumping and countervailing duty (AC/CVD) litigation. He has lengthy experience in complex trade litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and North American Free Trade Agreement binational panels. 

During his time in private practice, Stephen represented clients in a number of trade policy matters, from enforcement of unfair trade laws to the role of trade issues in the context of climate change.

Stephen has also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he co-taught a seminar on U.S. trade policy and the WTO.

Stephanie Lester is the Senior Director for Government Affairs at Gap Inc. In this capacity, she leads Gap Inc.’s government affairs team and manages the company’s relations with elected officials on the federal, state, and local levels. Ms. Lester was previously Vice President for International Trade at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). In that role, she advocated on behalf of the largest, most successful retailers on international trade, customs, and product safety issues.

From 2001-2006, Ms. Lester served as a professional staff member for the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. In that capacity, she advised members of the Committee on a variety of trade matters including free trade agreements, WTO negotiations on rules and dispute settlement, trade preference programs, U.S. trade remedy laws, and investment. Ms. Lester also worked as an international trade analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce and later served as the Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Ms. Lester holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Multinational Business from Florida State University, and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from American University in Washington, DC. Ms. Lester serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington International Trade Association and is currently Vice President.

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 3,750 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 joined Fontheim after spending six years 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.

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