On April 29, 2021, WITA discussed the efforts to create a global minimum tax, and related international tax and trade issues.

PROGRAM AGENDA 

Welcome: 10:00 AM (US/Eastern)

• Kenneth Levinson, Executive Director, WITA

• Lilian V. Faulhaber, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
• Loren C. Ponds, Member, Miller & Chevalier Chartered – former Chief Tax Counsel, Ways & Means Republican
• Bob Stack, Managing Director, Washington National Tax | International Tax Group, Deloitte Tax LLP
• Moderator: Antonia Ferrier, Chief Strategic Communications Officer, CGCN Group

• 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.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

The post WITA Webinar on Proposals for a Global Minimum Tax appeared first on WITA.

On March 26, 2021, WITA held the second event in the two- part mini series on Trade and Gender, and discussed the laws and regulations that constrain women’s participation in the labor force, and trade policies that can be adopted (or adapted) to support women engaging in international trade.  

As a global average, women have only 75% of the legal rights accorded to men, and 40% of countries have laws constraining women’s participation in the labor force. Gender-biased laws and procurement processes can prevent women from setting up a business or owning land and assets. Because of these and other obstacles, women participate less in international trade.

Speakers discussed the laws and regulations that constrain women’s participation in the labor force, and trade policies that can be adopted (or adapted) to support women engaging in international trade. 

PROGRAM AGENDA

Welcome: 9:00 AM (US/Eastern)

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

Remarks and Panelist Discussion: 9:05 AM

• Elvis Francis, Director, Gap Foundation (P.A.C.E.) | Gap Inc.
• Beth Roberts, Director, Center for Women’s Land Rights
• Livia Shmavonian, Senior Advisor, Office of U.S. Senator Bob Casey
• Mei Xu, CEO of Yes She May
• Moderator: Nicole Bivens Collinson, President, International Trade and Government Relations, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A.

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

Nicole Bivens Collinson leads the International Trade and Government relations practice of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., and serves as managing principal of the Washington, D.C., office. She is also a member of the Firm’s Operating Committee and a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC and NPR.

Ms. Collinson has over 30 years of experience in government, public affairs and lobbying. She has drafted and guided the successful implementation of several pieces of key international trade legislation positively affecting the bottom line of many U.S. companies.  Clients have saved millions of dollars through the successful drafting, guidance and passage of legislation that reduces or eliminates duties — crafting creative measures to benefit clients such as blocking changes to the First Sale doctrine, Miscellaneous Tariff Bills, specific trade preference legislation, the Generalized System of Preferences, etc.  Such a track record demonstrates her ability to effectively move your agenda forward.

Ms. Collinson prepares countries, companies and associations for negotiations with the United States on free trade agreements, trade and investment agreements, labor disputes or other preferential programs. She is well-known for her ability to foster dialogue among a diverse set of stakeholders to resolve complex issues in trade policy making and implementation. She also works directly with U.S. multinational corporations and associations, as well as foreign companies, associations and government agencies, to clearly represent their positions in Washington. In doing so she analyzes and monitors cross-cutting trade issues, including labor, the environment, food safety, customs regulations, international development and others, and helps build strong coalitions to advocate for change.

Further, her work representing clients before Congress has earned her a well-respected position among politicians involved in international and business affairs. She is a well-known international trade authority in Washington, regularly called upon by members of Congress and the administration to help explain complex trade programs. Her decades of work with the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees and the Senate Finance; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Foreign Relations; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees has established deep and lasting relations with members of Congress and their staffs.

Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Collinson served as assistant chief negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, responsible for the negotiation of bilateral agreements with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, the Sub-Continent and Africa. She also served as a country specialist in the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce, where she was responsible for the preparation of negotiations on specific topics between the U.S. and Latin America, Eastern Europe, China and Hong Kong, as well as the administration of complex textile agreements.

Ms.  Collinson holds a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University and a triple bachelor’s degree in political science, European studies and French from Georgetown College. She also studied at the Université de Caen in France. She is current Chair of the Women in International Trade Charitable Trust, past president of Women in International Trade, an Advisory Board member of America’s TradePolicy.com, and a member of the Washington International Trade Association, the Washington International Trade Association Foundation, and the National Association of Manufacturers and Women in Government Relations. She serves on the board of trustees for Georgetown College and the board of directors for Imojeans, and she is the past Executive Director for the U.S. Hosiery Manufacturers Coalition, the U.S. Apparel Industry Coalition and the U.S. Sock Distributors Coalition.  She is conversant in both French and Spanish.

Elvis Francis has been with Gap Inc. for nearly 23 years and has held several roles within the Supply Chain and Global Sustainability teams in the company. Starting 2006 he has played a key role in the development of Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) program. The program was designed to help female garment workers build the skills needed to advance beyond entry-level positions in factories and fulfill their potential through life skills education and technical training. The P.A.C.E. women’s program is now widely implemented across several other industries and communities.

In 2016, Gap Inc. expanded the P.A.C.E. programming to include adolescent girls in two age groups (11-13 and 14-17 years old) responding to the vision that P.A.C.E. graduating mothers had for their own daughters to possess better life skills, to be self-reliant, resilient and be able to control their own destiny. He has been instrumental in the sustained expansion of the P.A.C.E. workplace and community programs to 17 countries, enabling participation of more than 800,000 women and girls and is spearheading Gap Inc’s goal of empowering 1Million women and girls by year 2022.

Beth Roberts is the Director of the Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights. She is an attorney and a policy and gender practitioner who works to strengthen rights and governance related to land and productive assets, via a gender-equal and socially inclusive (GESI) lens. She provides legal and policy analysis and recommendations to government decision-makers, traditional authorities, civil society partners, and international human rights and climate change bodies; conducts consultations and assessments with rural communities; and works to collaborate with, strengthen, and expand the network of practitioners focused at the intersection of gender, social inclusion, and natural resource justice worldwide.

During her time at Landesa, she has focused on advocacy at both global and national levels for greater policy coherence and stronger implementation related to gender and land in global agendas (the Sustainable Development Goals, human rights norms and standards, and climate change); on GESI support and guidance to Landesa’s country teams; and on organizational change initiatives and program and project management. She leads and works with a team of gender specialists across Landesa that seeks to ensure an integrated approach to Landesa’s gender equality and social inclusion work.

Beth holds three advanced degrees from the University of Washington: a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on international development and nonprofit management, a Juris Doctor (JD), and an LL.M in Sustainable International Development Law. 

Livia Shmavonian is a Senior Advisor for Senator Bob Casey. She serves as lead advisor to Senator Casey on trade, economic and tax policy. Livia leads Senator Casey’s initiative to make women’s rights and the advancement of equal protection under law a core U.S. trade policy priority. She developed legislation to modernize criteria in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to incorporate the rights of women (equal protection), human rights, non-discrimination, and violence and harassment. Livia previously managed the Democratic operations and agenda for the Senate Finance Trade Subcommittee, when Senator Casey served as Ranking Member. In that role she developed hearing topics on a bipartisan basis – most recently covering the emerging issue of censorship as a non-tariff barrier to trade, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and market access challenges in China. Livia’s economic policy work focuses on conditions that support and promote fair competition.

Livia is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and holds an MPP from Georgetown University.

Mei Xu is a Chinese American entrepreneur, author and founder and CEO of three global companies, Yes She May, BlissLiving Home® and Chesapeake Bay Candle®. Xu successfully negotiated the sale of Chesapeake Bay Candle to Newell Brands in 2017, a conglomerate with a $14 billion portfolio of consumer goods. Mei is now focused on helping women-owned consumer product companies grow and prosper with e-commerce platform, Yes She May. In March 2021, Mei will also launch her memoir, “Burn” that details her inspiring journey from coming to the United States as an immigrant to founding her own multi-million-dollar business.

Born in Hangzhou, China in 1967, Xu came of age during China’s transformation to a more open, market-oriented economy following Chairman Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. At age 12, Xu attended an elite language immersion boarding school designed to train diplomats for Foreign Service.

Xu continued her education at Beijing Foreign Studies University, but her goal of entering the diplomatic corps was never realized, due to the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising. At great personal and financial hardship, Xu moved to the United States to begin graduate school at the University of Maryland College Park. After completing her master’s degree, Xu moved to New York to work for a high-tech, medical company that exported equipment to China. Unsatisfied with meager salary and position, Mei, and her then husband, David, turned to entrepreneurship. Capitalizing on the beginnings of Sino-American relations, Xu began experimenting with making candles in her basement using Campbell’s soup cans as molds. She then launched her consumer lifestyle brand. Her satiny and smooth fashion candles launched her brand to surprising success, and during her career she pivoted into the home fragrance and wellness industries.

After selling the company to Newell Brands, Mei created Yes She May (www.YesSheMay.com) to give women-owned brands a platform to reach a larger audience. It is the only online platform where consumers can shop for fashion, beauty, wellness, and home from women-owned businesses around the world. Each product is carefully curated so that no two brands compete in the same product space.

Xu’s entrepreneurial success story has been reported on by major news organizations, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, NPR, the Baltimore Sun, CNBC, MSNBC, among others.

Xu is an engaging story-teller whose personal journey to entrepreneurship inspires others. She is frequently invited to speak at universities, including the Wharton Business School, the Robert S. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Tsinghua University in Beijing; by business groups, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and Horasis Global Visions Community; and government agencies, including the White House, where she was a panelist at the “Insourcing American Jobs” forum hosted by President Obama. Xu’s presentation topics and areas of expertise include women’s global economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, made in America/re-shoring initiatives, consumer lifestyle trends, the importance of a global education, and business development in China. Xu has also shared her story of entrepreneurial success with the host of the Ted Radio Hour and “How I Built This” with Guy Raz: NPR.

Xu’s business achievements have repeatedly been recognized by prominent organizations. She has been honored by, amongst others, Smart CEO with the Brava Award; Politico’s 2019 Woman of Impact Award; the World Trade Center Institute with the Maryland International Business Leadership Award; the Asian American Chamber of Commerce with the Business Leader of the Year Award; the Asian Women in Business Organization with the Entrepreneurial Leadership Award; the Washington Business Journal with the Women Who Mean Business Award; the Maryland Daily Record with the Most Admired CEO Award; and the University of Maryland with the Philip Merrill College of Journalism Distinguished Alumnus Award. Xu was also inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame and named twice by Inc. Magazine as CEO of one of America’s Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies.

Xu plays an active role in community, philanthropic and civic organizations, serving on boards of both for-profit and non-profit organizations, including: Sandy Spring BanCorp, Inc. (2012-2015); the University of Maryland, Baltimore Foundation; Meridian International; the World Affairs Council; the Halcyon Incubator Fund that invests in socially impactful ventures; and SoGal Ventures, the first female-led millennial venture capital fund investing in diverse entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Asia. Xu is a member of the Committee of 200 (C200), an invitation-only organization of the world’s most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate innovators; the Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows; and the U.S. China Business Council. She is a delegate to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit; a mentor with the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership; and a WE Connect Founding International Ambassador.

Xu and her family live in Bethesda, Maryland. All inquiries can be made to info@yesshemay.com.

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: Taking Meaningful Action to Address Barriers to Trade for Women appeared first on WITA.

On March 18, 2021, WITA held the first event in the two- part mini series on Trade and Gender, and discussed the efforts to bring more gender parity in trade. 

To move towards more inclusive trade, international institutions and its member countries can be essential drivers of gender equality and women’s empowerment through trade policy and trade agreements. 

Speakers will discussed how governments and international institutions can work together to bring more gender parity in trade, which has traditionally been thought of as a gender neutral policy issue. 

PROGRAM AGENDA

Welcome: 11:30 AM (US/Eastern)

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

Remarks and Panelist Discussion: 11:35 AM

• Pamela Rosemarie Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
• Heather Mae Kipnis, Entrepreneurship | Inclusive Business Lead, IFC Gender and Economic Inclusion Group
• Sara Wilshaw, Chief Trade Commissioner, Government of Canada
• Rodrigo Yáñez Benítez, Vice Minister of Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
• Moderator: Laura Lane, Chief Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer, UPS

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

Pamela Rosemarie Coke-Hamilton, is Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC). ITC is the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), for trade and international business development. 

Previously Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UNCTAD, Ms. Coke-Hamilton brings a breadth of experience and expertise in trade-related capacity-building and sustainable development, having served with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) Member States in trade negotiations and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and InterAmerican Development Bank. She previously served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the capacity of private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through investment promotion.  

She brings a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable economies such as the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) having designed tailored interventions. She has worked extensively with the private sector across the African Caribbean and Pacific countries as well as with universities and academia to build trade-related institutional strength within Member States. As a strong proponent of gender equality and mainstreaming in trade, she established the Women Empowered through Export (WeXport) platform to address the disadvantages women owned firms experience in accessing markets. 

She holds a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of the West Indies. She is fluent in English, advanced in French with a working knowledge of Spanish.

Heather Mae Kipnis is the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Business Product Lead for IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion Group. In this role, she is the global technical specialist advising project teams, clients, and partners on how to close gender gaps in access to finance, markets, and non-financial services — with the goal of unlocking opportunities for increased profit, growth and innovation for both IFC clients and women entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Additionally, she leads global product development, partnerships, and research for new advisory and investment solutions that support women entrepreneurs and individuals at the base of the economic pyramid.

Heather brings 20 years of experience in international development and financial services across Latin America & the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Prior to IFC, Heather led the programs and educational activities for a network of 75,000 women-led small to medium enterprises and held positions in impact investing and private wealth management. Heather has served as an advisor for the Aspen Institute’s ANDE Gender Inclusion Learning Lab, and the Global Impact Investing Networks (GIIN) gender-lens investing initiative.

Heather has an MBA in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor’s of Science in Decision and Information Sciences from University of Florida. 

Laura Lane is Chief Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer at UPS. In this role she oversees Public Policy and Government Affairs, Public Relations, Employee Communications, and the UPS Foundation and is a member of UPS’s Executive Leadership Team reporting to CEO Carol Tomé.

Laura began her UPS career as President, Global Public Affairs in 2011 and was responsible for worldwide government affairs activities for UPS in over 220 countries and territories. She managed a global team of over 80 government affairs and strategic communications professionals. In a short time, she strengthened UPS growth and competitiveness, including successfully advocating for comprehensive tax reform; enhancing network efficiencies through infrastructure investments; securing alternative fuel credits in support of sustainability; working to modernize trade agreements and customs processes; leveling the playing field with postal networks; facilitating UPS Flight Forward certification; and advocating for laws that promote equity and justice in the workplace.

Prior to joining UPS, Laura served in both the public and private sectors. She was managing director and head of International Government Affairs at Citigroup and vice president for Global Public Policy with Time Warner.

In her government career, Laura served as a trade negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the negotiation of China’s entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the WTO Financial Services Agreement and the WTO Basic Telecommunications Agreement. She also served as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1990-1997, including serving as consular/economic officer in Bogota, Colombia and then at the American Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. In Rwanda, she led evacuation efforts during the outbreak of civil war and returned as political advisor to U.S. forces providing humanitarian relief in the post-conflict environment. In a recent TED Talk, Laura describes that first-hand account and the importance of advocating for positive change.

Laura currently serves as co-chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). She is also a member of the Board of UNHCR USA and previously served as a U.S. government appointed delegate for the APEC Business Advisory Council. Laura is a member of the board of several U.S. business associations and non-profits, including serving on the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.

Laura graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and history. As a Truman Scholar, she also graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University with a Master of Science degree in foreign service in international economics and business diplomacy.

Sara Wilshaw, is Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada. She leads a global team that helps Canadian business find new customers, troubleshoot market access, sell their products, and grow their businesses (www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca).Sara also leads work across global trade support services including export finance, foreign investment and responsible business conduct.

Prior to her current role, Sara served as Director of Operations, Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Privy Council Office. In this role she provided strategic analysis and advice to the Prime Minister, the Clerk of the Privy Council, the National Security and Intelligence Advisor and the Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor on matters concerning Canada-U.S. relations, Latin America, Trade issues, Climate Change, Human Rights and the UN.

Prior to joining PCO, Sara led the North America Bureau at Global Affairs Canada during the renegotiation of NAFTA as Director General. She was previously appointed to represent Canada as Consul General in Dallas, and as Senior Trade Commissioner in New Delhi, India, and she has extensive experience in trade promotion and negotiations, including at Canada’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva and at the Embassy of Canada in Japan.

Her headquarters experience at Global Affairs Canada includes both functional and geographic, as well as foundational work on the Global Commerce Strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility for the Extractive Sector, modernization of the Trade Commissioner Service, trade policy consultations and communications, as well as human resources.

Ms. Wilshaw is a graduate of York University’s International Relations and Economics program. She is married and has two children.

Rodrigo Yáñez Benítez, serves as the Vice Minister of Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile. In 2008, while working as a researcher for the Instituto Libertad, Yáñez Benítez participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focusing on U.S. foreign policy. During his IVLP, he learned about the collaborative nexus between policies, public interest groups, and government institutions. Thanks in part to the knowledge he acquired through his IVLP, Yáñez Benítez became an advisor to congressional leaders in the Foreign Relations Committee in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Yáñez Benítez further contributed to Chile’s foreign affairs by working on a peacekeeping law, which enabled Chile to contribute to global peacekeeping efforts, and on efforts to modernize the Foreign Ministry, which created progressive reforms in the Ministry’s structure and operations. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Piñera on international and regulatory affairs, where he developed foreign policy proposals and oversaw the implementation of domestic policy initiatives for different Ministries. In 2011, Yáñez Benítez was involved in creating the Pacific Alliance group, a trade bloc between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, to facilitate regional integration. As Vice Minister of Trade, he leads Chile’s intense bilateral and multilateral trade agenda, including active participation in multilateral trade fora such as APEC, Pacific Alliance, and WTO.

When asked about the impact of his IVLP, Yáñez Benítez says, “I believe it strengthened my longstanding commitment to contribute to my country from the international perspective. Having met people with so many different backgrounds, all connected around a strong commitment to international understanding and cultural exchange, has been of great inspiration.”

Rodrigo Yáñez Benítez is a trade policy expert who has strengthened Chile’s international trading policies and bolstered Chile’s economy by diversifying its regional exports and creating new international agreements.

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: Opportunities for Engagement on Trade and Gender appeared first on WITA.

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.  

The post 2021 Washington International Trade Conference Recap appeared first on WITA.

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

• Robert E. DeFrancesco, III, Partner, Wiley Rein
• Jean Simard, President and CEO, Aluminum Association of Canada
• Tom Dobbins, President and CEO, The Aluminum Association
• Moderator: Deanna Tanner Okun, Managing Partner, Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP, and former Chair of the International Trade Commission

• 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.

On Thursday, September 3rd, WITA welcomed U.S. and Canadian business leaders to discuss the tariffs President Trump reimposed on aluminum from Canada under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, after determining that aluminum imports from Canada “threaten to impair the national security of the United States.”

Supplementary Materials:

Deanna Tanner Okun Introduction Presentation

Robert DeFrancesco Opening Statement

To view the Century Aluminum Company’s CEO, Michael Bless’s remarks on the aluminum tariffs, please click here. 

Wiley Rein Presentation

Aluminum Association of Canada 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
(in order of appearance)

Robert DeFrancesco is a Partner at Wiley Rein LLP. His practice involves all aspects of international trade and trade remedy proceedings. He has particular expertise in both U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings and export control matters before the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

In addition, Robert has represented numerous clients in both the Section 232 Aluminum investigation before the Bureau of Industry and Security at the U.S. Commerce Department and in the Section 301 investigation of China before USTR.

Robert has also actively assisted in World Trade Organization (WTO) matters, providing advice regarding WTO obligations and dispute settlement proceedings for various clients and governments. Clients represented in these proceedings come from industries such as primary aluminum, aluminum extrusions, petrochemicals, steel, semiconductors, renewable energy, and consumer goods, involving products from diverse economies such as China, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Turkey.

Jean Simard is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) has been since 2009. Jean Simard is the industry’s official representative and spokesperson with governments, business associations and the media, as well as with international organizations linked to the industry.

Mr. Simard holds a degree in Civil Law from the University of Ottawa, and is a member of the Barreau du Québec. He possesses extensive professional experience in public and government relations, mainly in sustainable development, energy and environmental affairs. Prior to joining the AAC, he was Vice-President Sustainable Development, Public and Governmental Affairs, at Gaz Métro, a Quebec-based energy company.

Mr. Simard represents the AAC at the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) and at the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). He is a member of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee of the Quebec Industrial Aluminium Cluster (AluQuébec), as well as a member of the Board (Treasurer) of the Conseil patronal de l’environnement du Québec (CPEQ), and of the Quebec Aluminium Research Development Centre (CQRDA). Co-founder and member of the Steering committee of SWITCH, the Alliance for a greener economy, he is one of the Leaders of the Canadian Smart Prosperity initiative.

He is a member of the Advisory Council of the newly created Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. He is a member of the Steering Committee of Forum Concertation on Circular Economy and of the Public Affairs Committee of the Quebec Employers Council. He chairs the Board of Directors of the Quebec Music & Art Conservatories Foundation and is a member of the Board of Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal. He is also a member of the Ambassador Circle of Nature Conservancy Canada’s, Quebec Chapter.

Tom Dobbins joined the Aluminum Association as President & CEO in March of 2020 after leading the American Composites Manufacturers Association for over 13 years. There he focused on growing markets for composites in aerospace, automotive and building and construction. During his tenure Congress included provisions to advance the use of composites or advanced materials in 6 consecutive infrastructure bills.

He has also worked for two other major associations leading their government affairs programs, the Executive branch of government where he created an outreach and education program for small businesses, 3 Members of Congress and a Congressional Committee, and one of the premiere boutique lobbying firms in its time.

Moderator: Deanna Tanner Okun is the managing partner at Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP. Deanna is an international trade lawyer providing legal and strategic international trade policy advice to steer companies through the intersection where innovation confronts barriers, such as intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices, or regulatory hurdles.

Deanna’s practice involves all aspects of unfair trade litigation and trade remedy advocacy. Her Section 337 work includes all stages of litigation at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) from preinstitution consultation to post-remedy enforcement with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She also represents companies in Title VII antidumping and countervailing duty investigations before the ITC and Department of Commerce (DOC). In 2017, her client secured the first negative preliminary AD/CVD determination in over seven years. Deanna’s work in trade remedy proceedings on behalf of U.S. companies extends to previously rarely used trade statutes, including Section 201, 232, and 301 investigations. Deanna participated in one of only two Section 201 investigations in the past twenty years, winning a successful remedy for her client. She works closely with contacts in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the government to create innovative solutions to her clients’ legal and business challenges.

Deanna has extensive experience as a top administrator, regulator, enforcer, legislative aide, and lawyer. She served two terms as Chairman during her twelve years of service as a member of the ITC. During her tenure as a Commissioner, she ruled on hundreds of cases involving allegations of patent, trademark and copyright infringement as well as other types of unfair acts such as trade secrets. As Commissioner, she was involved in numerous AD/CVD investigations and participated in almost all recent global safeguard investigations under the Trade Act of 1974, including investigations under Section 201 and the China-specific safeguard investigations under Section 421. Prior to her appointment to the ITC, she served as counsel for international affairs to U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski and practiced international trade law with a large DC-based law firm. During her tenure at the ITC, Deanna was nominated to be Deputy United States Trade Representative.

In 2012, Deanna was named the Outstanding Woman of the Year by the Association of Women in International Trade, a chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade. She has served on the Federal Circuit Advisory Council since 2013. In 2019, for the seventh consecutive year, Managing Intellectual Property named Deanna one of the Top 250 Women in IP. She was recently selected for the 2020 Roster for NAFTA Chapter 19 Binational Panels (U.S.).

The post WITA Webinar: Aluminum Imports and Tariffs – The Business Interests and Impacts 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 Thursday, April 23rd, WITA co-hosted a webinar with Asia Society Policy Group on the current shortcomings of global supply chains, and how trade policy should respond post-COVID.

The event featured (in order of appearance):

• Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director of Washington D.C. Office, Asia Society Policy Institute
• Beth Baltzan, American Phoenix Trade Advisory Service and formerly with USTR and the House Ways & Means Committee
• Anabel Gonzalez, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics and former Minister of Trade of Costa Rica
• Nicole Bivens Collinson, President, International Trade & Government Relations, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A.

The post WITA Webinar: Impact of COVID-19 on Global Supply Chains and the Future of Trade Policy appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, April 16, WITA co-hosted a webinar with the Asia Society Policy Institute on the impact COVID-19 has had on global medical supply chains and international trade.

The event featured (in order of appearance):

• Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director of Washington D.C. Office, Asia Society Policy Institute
• Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States
• Simon J. Evenett, Professor of International Trade and Economic Development, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
• Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, President, National Foreign Trade Council

The post WITA Webinar: Beggar Thy Neighbor, Impacts of COVID-19 on Trade and Health Care Supply Chains appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, April 9, WITA co-hosted a webinar with the Asia Society Policy Institute on the next steps in the effort to remove trade restrictions on essential goods, especially medical equipment and supplies, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

• Ambassador Darci Vetter, Vice Chair, Agriculture, Food, Edelman
• Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director of Washington D.C. Office, Asia Society Policy Institute
• Sabine Weyand, Ph.D., Director General for Trade, European Commission
• Ambassador Alan Wolff, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO)

The post WITA Webinar: COVID-19 & Trade – A WTO Agenda appeared first on WITA.

The post The U.S.-China Trade and Strategic Relationship/Rivalry by WITA 10/2/19 appeared first on WITA.