Program Agenda and Speakers

8:30 AM: Doors open for networking coffee

9:00 AM: Event start time

9:05 AM: Armchair Discussion

Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown; former United States Trade Representative

Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Delegation of the European Union to the United States; former Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania

9:35 AM: Panel on US-EU Trade & Investment

Marco Margheri, Head of US Relations, Eni; Chairman, Eni New Energies US Inc.

Penny Naas, Lead, GMF Allied Competitiveness, German Marshall Fund

Jonathan Samford, Incoming President & CEO, Global Business Alliance

Lisa Schroeter, Global Director of Trade & Investment Policy, Dow

10:30 AM: Event conclusion

Additional Speakers to be Announced…

Speaker Biographies

Ambassador Schwab served as U.S. Trade Representative (2006–09) and as deputy (2005–06). As USTR, she concluded free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, South Korea and others; and launched the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. She pursued and/or settled trade disputes with various WTO members, including China, Canada, and the EU, and engaged in negotiations at the WTO, APEC and other regional or plurilateral settings.

In academia, she served as dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland; and as vice chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) & CEO of the USM Foundation. She still teaches classes in international trade.

In the private sector, Schwab was director of corporate business development for Motorola, Inc., where she engaged in M&A and joint venture negotiations in Asia, including in China.

Earlier in government, she served as assistant secretary of Commerce and director-general of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, as a trade staffer and legislative director for Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO), and as a foreign service officer at the US Embassy in Tokyo. She began her career as an agricultural trade negotiator at USTR.

Ambassador Schwab serves on the boards of Caterpillar, FedEx and Marriott. She chairs the board of The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), and is on the boards of The Conference Board, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), and Signature Theatre of Arlington, VA.

She holds a BA from Williams College; a Master’s from Stanford University; and a Ph.D. from The George Washington University.

Jovita Neliupšienė became the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States on January 1, 2024. Before that, she was a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from September 2022, where she was responsible for the coordination of European Affairs, European bilateral and regional issues, as well as national sanctions coordinator.

From 2020-2022, she was Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, tasked with investment and export promotion, international cooperation, including policy coordination of state-owned enterprises, as well as chairing the interagency commission for export control.

In 2020, she held the post of Chancellor and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. This position included responsibility for staff coordination, legal and consular affairs. Between 2015-2020, she served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU. These years were marked by the migration crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2009-2015, she worked as an advisor and chief foreign policy advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Ms. Dalia Grybauskaite. She was responsible for foreign policy coordination, inter-institutional relations, as well as the role of sherpa/EU advisor, and in this respect took a leading position in preparing and coordinating the Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council in 2013. In 2014, she was awarded the State Decoration Order “For Merit to Lithuania” Commander’s Cross.

Marco Margheri is the Head of Eni’s US Relations and Chairman of Eni New Energies US Inc. He oversees relations with US Authorities, US-based IFIs, and multilateral processes of interest for the company. Marco is also serving as Board Member for the Atlantic Council, a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Chair for Italy of the WEC – World Energy Council. Prior to joining Eni, he was Italy’s Edison Executive Vice-President for Sustainability, Institutions & Regulation overseeing activities in Rome and Brussels, and held positions with GE Oil & Gas and Cohn Wolfe. Marco is also a visiting professor at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, a member of the Italian press and an Honorary Member of the Milano per la Scala Foundation in Milan.

Penelope (Penny) Naas is Lead for GMF Allied Competitiveness at the German Marshall Fund. She is a global public policy leader who designs strategies on international economic issues that sit at the nexus of geopolitics, trade, and climate. She is an adviser for TradeExperettes, a global organization of women trade experts.

Naas has created innovative strategies and solutions for Citigroup and, more recently, for UPS as its president for international public affairs and global sustainability. She opened and was managing director of Citigroup’s first government affairs office in Brussels between 2007 and 2012 before leading UPS’s international team from 2012 to 2019. She started her career at the US Department of Commerce, where she worked for 13 years on international economic issues and advancing the commercial interests of US companies in Europe.

Naas holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is on several boards and has co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment.

Lisa Schroeter is the Global Director of Trade and Investment Policy for The Dow Chemical Company. As part of the corporate Government Affairs & Public Policy team, Lisa has direct responsibilities for defining and managing the company’s global trade agenda as well as developing strategy on the international aspects of key corporate issues. Based in Washington, DC, Lisa’s responsibilities focus on trade policy and legislation, trade negotiations, and investment issues that foster growth in Dow’s global businesses through identification of policies facilitating market access and reducing global distribution costs.

Before joining Dow, Lisa was the Executive Director of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). TABD is a unique trade-facilitation process by which American and European corporations work with the U.S. Administration and the European Commission to implement practical, detailed recommendations. Lisa was responsible for staffing the U.S. Chair CEO, working with the issue committees to develop and promote their recommendations, and facilitating business and government interaction. Ms. Schroeter joined TABD in 1999, and managed the process on behalf of the Boeing Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Technologies Corporation and Xerox.

Lisa is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); President-Elect of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and a Board Member of the Washington International Trade Association, US Council for International Business the US-ASEAN Business Council and Cultural Tourism, DC. She serves as the Chair of the ICCA Trade Network and Global Regulatory Cooperation task forces as well as the US Business Committee of the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN).

As a long-term DC resident, Lisa is also a Board Member of Cultural Tourism DC, celebrating the unique heritage and history of the U.S. Capital.

The post The Future of U.S.-EU Trade and Investment appeared first on WITA.

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

Featured Speakers:

Ralph Carter, Staff Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, FedEx

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

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

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

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

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

Speaker Biographies:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Regulating and Reforming De Minimis appeared first on WITA.

Featured Speakers:  

Kathleen Claussen, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

Timothy Meyer, Richard Allen/Cravath Distinguished Professor in International Business Law, Duke University School of Law

Moderator: Michael J. Smart, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors

Speaker Biographies

Professor Kathleen Claussen is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and has served as arbitrator, counsel, expert, public servant, and teacher. Her expertise covers several topics of international law, especially trade, investment, international business and labor; dispute settlement and international dispute bodies; national security and cybersecurity law; and administrative law issues surrounding U.S. foreign relations and transnational agreements.

Her work has appeared in the Yale Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Chicago Law Review, and the Virginia Law Review, among others, as well as in leading international law journals. One of her articles on international investment disputes, The International Claims Trade, was awarded the Smit-Lowenfeld Prize in International Arbitration. Professor Claussen is also the co-founder of SAILS: the Consortium for the Study and Analysis of International Law Scholarship. She is the editor (with Geraldo Vidigal) of The Sustainability Revolution in Trade Agreements, forthcoming with Oxford University Press. She also co-edits an open-access textbook on international trade law together with Julian Arato, Joseph Weiler, and Sungjoon Cho. Professor Claussen has also blogged at Lawfare, Just Security, the International Economic Law & Policy Blog, and Opinio Juris, and is regularly featured on or consulted as an expert for various media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Marketplace, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times.

Professor Claussen has served as an arbitrator, as counsel, or as counsel to the tribunal in more than a dozen international trade and investment cases. She has been named to three arbitration rosters to serve as panel chair or panel member in state-to-state disputes. She is also regularly called upon to testify as an expert before legislative and independent review boards. In 2021-2022, she co-authored a study commissioned by the Administrative Conference of the United States on alternative dispute resolution in federal agency programs.

Professor Claussen has served as a visiting faculty member or invited researcher at numerous institutions around the world, including Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, the University of Cambridge Lauterpacht Centre for International Law where she was a Brandon Fellow, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, the iCourts Center of Excellence at the University of Copenhagen, the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies, the University of Zurich and Collegium Helveticum, and the World Trade Institute. Prior to joining the Georgetown faculty in 2023, she was a member of the faculty at the University of Miami School of Law for five years.

Professor Claussen holds several leadership positions within international law and arbitration professional associations. In 2021, she was appointed co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Economic Law. Her other recent governance appointments include the American Society of International Law (ASIL) International Economic Law Interest Group, the ASIL Executive Council & Executive Committee, and the Junior International Law Scholars Association. She is also a member of the Academic Council of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration and the Academic Forum on Investor-State Dispute settlement.

Before joining the academy, Professor Claussen was Associate General Counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the Executive Office of the President. There, she represented the United States in trade dispute proceedings and served as a legal advisor for the United States in international trade negotiations. She also worked on economic security issues on behalf of USTR at the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force. In 2020-2021, she was an invited member of the Biden-Harris Transition Team, covering trade, commerce, and development agencies.

Earlier in her career, Professor Claussen was Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague where she advised on disputes between countries, and on investment and commercial arbitrations involving countries and international organizations. She also clerked for the Honorable David F. Hamilton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. At Yale, Professor Claussen served on the board of the Yale Law Journal and was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal of International Law. She was awarded the Jerome Sayles Hess Fund Prize for excellence in international law and the Howard M. Holtzmann Fellowship in international dispute resolution.

Timothy Meyer is Richard Allen/Cravath Distinguished Professor in International Business Law at Duke University School of Law and is an expert in international law—with specialties in international trade, investment and environmental law—and U.S. foreign relations law. He is co-director of Duke Law’s Center for International and Comparative Law. Meyer also serves on the Board of Editors of the American Journal of International Law and is an elected member of the American Law Institute.

Meyer’s research examines the factors that influence the design, implementation, and evolution of international legal institutions, as well as the role of the constitutional separation of powers in U.S. foreign policymaking. Specific topics include the implementation of public policy exceptions in international trade agreements, the interaction of international and local rules on energy subsidies, the role of local governments in free trade agreements, and the creation of non-binding “soft law” obligations. Professor Meyer’s work has appeared in the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the California Law Review, the Journal of Legal Analysis and the American and European Journals of International Law, among others. He is also the author (with Andrew T. Guzman) of GOLDILOCKS GLOBALISM, forthcoming from Oxford University Press, and the editor (with Harlan Grant Cohen) of INTERNATIONAL LAW AS BEHAVIOR, from Cambridge University Press.

Meyer is the author (with Todd N. Tucker) of The Green Steel Deal, a proposal for an international arrangement on decarbonizing the steel sector through a mix of domestic and international trade measures. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and the Judiciary and has served both as counsel and as an expert in international arbitrations and in cases raising international and foreign relations law issues in U.S. courts. The European Union has also named Meyer to its list of possible chairpersons for arbitrations and trade and sustainable development disputes arising under its trade agreements.

Prior to joining the Duke Law faculty in 2022, Meyer was a professor of law and director of the International Legal Studies Program at Vanderbilt University Law School. He has also taught at the University of Georgia School of Law. Before entering the academy, he served as an attorney-adviser in the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser and clerked for the Honorable Neil M. Gorsuch when Justice Gorsuch served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Meyer earned his B.A. and M.A. (History) from Stanford University and his J.D. and Ph.D. (Jurisprudence and Social Policy) from the University of California, Berkeley.

Michael J. Smart is a Managing Director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, where he focuses on international trade and investment policy, including market access and regulatory matters. He also advises multinational companies on sanctions, supply chain policy, and trade-related climate measures.

Mr. Smart previously served as Trade Counsel on the Democratic staff of the US Senate Committee on Finance. In that role, he advised Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and members of the committee on various trade matters, including World Trade Organization negotiations and dispute settlement, free trade agreements, agricultural trade, and the trade aspects of legislation to address climate change.

Before joining the Finance Committee, Mr. Smart was Director for International Trade and Investment on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House. Mr. Smart focused on the Doha Development Agenda, trade in financial services, free trade agreements, and bilateral investment treaties. He also served as the lead White House staff for cabinet-level dialogues with Brazil and India.

Mr. Smart was previously an associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, where his practice focused on international trade and investment policy and dispute resolution. He represented companies and governments in WTO, investment treaty, and NAFTA disputes. Earlier in his career, Mr. Smart was Legislative Director for former Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND).

Mr. Smart has appeared on CNN International, BBC News, Bloomberg News, and Channel News Asia and has been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, and Financial Times.

Mr. Smart is a member of the Executive Circle of the Institute of International Economic Affairs at The George Washington University and a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington International Trade Association. Mr. Smart received his BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude) and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude).

The post Trade and the Administrative State appeared first on WITA.

On October 1, WITA hosted the Trade Around the World – U.S. Trade Initiatives panel as part of the 2024 WITA Academy Virtual Intensive Trade Seminar.

Featured Speakers:

Marjorie Chorlins, Senior Vice President, Europe, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) Washington, D.C. Office; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Eric Farnsworth, Head of the Washington Office of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society

Florizelle Liser, President and CEO, Corporate Council on Africa

Moderator: Penny Naas, Lead, GMF Allied Competitiveness, German Marshall Fund

Speaker Biographies:

Marjorie A. Chorlins is the senior vice president for Europe at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She develops policies and executes programs related to trade and investment with Europe. With more than 30 years of experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Chorlins has focused on forging consensus among competing points of view. She has represented the U.S. government in multilateral trade negotiations, advocated in support of global sales, consulted with multinational corporations on corporate responsibility, and helped foster a robust transatlantic relationship. Chorlins began her federal government service in the office of former Sen. John C. Danforth (R-MO), where she participated in drafting the 1988 Trade Act and the 1989 implementing legislation for the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. She continued her government service as principal deputy assistant secretary for Import Administration at the Department of Commerce, representing the U.S. in the GATT Uruguay Round and NAFTA negotiations. Chorlins then became director for international trade relations at Motorola Inc. She played a leadership role in early business community efforts to normalize U.S.-China commercial relations and was an early proponent of a balanced approach in addressing commercial, human rights, and environmental priorities. Subsequently, Chorlins served as executive vice president of Business for Social Responsibility, which provides technical assistance on socially responsible business practices. She later rejoined Motorola’s government relations organization as senior director of advocacy and global strategy, leveraging political resources to support the company’s international sales and resolve matters of strategic importance to the corporation. Chorlins also served as director of government and regulatory affairs at Lockheed Martin, where she managed the international portfolio and focused on export control reform and defense trade policy. Chorlins holds an M.A. in international relations and economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in French from Wellesley College.

Wendy Cutler is Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and the managing director of the Washington, D.C. office. In these roles, she focuses on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade, investment, and innovation, as well as women’s empowerment in Asia. She joined ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she also served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. During her USTR career, she worked on a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations and initiatives, including the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, U.S.-China negotiations, and the WTO Financial Services negotiations. She has published a series of ASPI papers on the Asian trade landscape and serves as a regular media commentator on trade and investment developments in Asia and the world.

Eric Farnsworth is the Head of the Washington office of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society. He leads with a passion for promoting the importance of the Western Hemisphere for U.S. economic, security, and strategic interests. A recognized expert, he maintains an important policy leadership and advocacy role across a broad range of issues, including U.S. relations, economic development, trade, and energy; Asia-Latin American relations and global governance; and security and democracy. He consults frequently with senior U.S. government and foreign officials and private sector leaders, is a widely sought conference speaker and media commentator, and publishes regularly in leading newspapers and journals.

Prior to the Council, Mr. Farnsworth served in government with the U.S. Department of State, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Clinton White House. He also worked with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). His private sector experiences include ManattJones Global Strategies and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation. He has been decorated by the Governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Spain, and is an elected Academic Correspondent of Uruguay.

Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of CCA. Ms. Liser brings expertise and an extensive network on trade and Africa to her new role, along with a strong track record of working with the private sector to translate policy into action. She is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993. Ms. Liser joined CCA from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003. At USTR, she led trade and investment policy towards 49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Previously, Ms. Liser served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications from 2000-2003. She also served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Office of International Transportation and Trade at the Department of Transportation from 1987-2000; worked as a Director in USTR’s Office of GATT Affairs, and served as an Associate Fellow at the Overseas Development Council (ODC) from 1975-1980. Currently, Ms. Liser serves as a re-appointed member of the 2023-2024 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) where she previously served from 2019-2021. Ms. Liser also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and has also served as a Board member for the Women in International Trade (WIIT). Ms. Liser holds a M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Dickinson College.

Penelope (Penny) Naas is a global public policy leader who designs strategies on international economic issues that sit at the nexus of geopolitics, trade, and climate. She is an adviser for TradeExperettes, a global organization of women trade experts.

Naas has created innovative strategies and solutions for Citigroup and, more recently, for UPS as its president for international public affairs and global sustainability. She opened and was managing director of Citigroup’s first government affairs office in Brussels between 2007 and 2012 before leading UPS’s international team from 2012 to 2019. She started her career at the US Department of Commerce, where she worked for 13 years on international economic issues and advancing the commercial interests of US companies in Europe.

Naas holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is on several boards and has co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment.

The post 2024 Virtual Intensive Trade Seminar: Trade Around the World – U.S. Trade Initiatives appeared first on WITA.

The post Facilitating a Circular Economy for Critical Minerals – WITA Panel at the WTO Public Forum appeared first on WITA.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024 WITA held its first ever International Trade Reception at the WTO in Geneva.  Guests included diplomats from WTO member countries, WTO officials, and the global business community.  At the event, Ambassador Susan Schwab, the former United States Trade Representative and current Chair of the National Foreign Trade Council, presented WITA’s Global Leadership Award to WTO Director General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Featured Remarks:

Kenneth Levinson, CEO, Washington International Trade Association

John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst, Trade Data Monitor

Ambassador Susan Schwab, Chair, National Foreign Trade Council

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director General

Presenting Sponsor

Global Trade Leader

The post WITA International Trade Reception at the WTO Public Forum appeared first on WITA.

On Wednesday, July 24, at their 2024 Annual Awards Dinner (a/k/a the Trade Prom) the Washington International Trade Association and the Washington International Trade Foundation honored Senator Chris Coons with their Congressional Leadership Award and honored Congressman Darin LaHood with their Congressional Leadership Award.

To close the evening, WITA/WITF honored Ana Swanson and Doug Palmer with their Lighthouse Award. The WITA/WITF Awards Dinner is Washington’s largest annual gathering of trade professionals. It provides an excellent opportunity for WITA members to connect with other trade professionals, business leaders, and dignitaries in a celebratory setting.

Photos from the 2024 Annual Dinner

240429-WITA-WITF-Annual-Dinner_PROGRAM-V6r1

The post 2024 WITA/WITF ANNUAL DINNER appeared first on WITA.

On July 10, WITA discussed the prospects for renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences – a critical program for the U.S. in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, southeastern Europe, South America, and the Pacific Islands – which lapsed in 2020; as well as AGOA, and HOPE/HELP for Haiti, which both expire in 2025.

Featured Speakers:  

Fernando Capellán, President and CEO, Grupo M & Codevi

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

Beth Hughes, Vice President, Trade and Customs Policy, American Apparel & Footwear Association

Olawunmi Osholake, Deputy Managing Director, Global Shea Alliance

Moderator: Nicole Bivens Collinson, Managing Principal, Operating Committee, International Trade & Government Relations Practice Leader, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.

Speaker Biographies:

Fernando Anibal Capellan is President and CEO of Grupo M & Codevi. He was born in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic on February 9th, 1959. His business career began in the 1980s, when he founded Grupo M while studying industrial engineering. A textile firm, Grupo M introduced advanced production technologies, efficient manufacturing systems, modern human resource management, and a commitment to employees and the community that saw it become a standard of the Dominican textile industry.

Mr. Capellan became one of the first investors in Haiti, where he installed the industrial park, Codevi, in order to operate textile factories. In addition to his business operations, Mr. Capellan works with government entities, both national and international, to help develop inclusive rules and agreements that benefit the textile sector. He has served as president of the Dominican Association of Free Zones and the Free Zone Industries Association of Santiago, and currently serves on the executive committee of the National Council of Private Enterprise, the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic, the Cibao International Airport, and the Metropolitan Hospital of Santiago.

Ed Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute.

Ed returns to PPI after working for the think tank from 2001-2011. He most recently served as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In this position, he led USTR’s economic research unit from 2015-2021, and chaired the 21-agency Trade Policy Staff Committee.

Ed began his career on Capitol Hill before serving USTR as Policy Advisor to USTR Charlene Barshefsky from 1998 to 2001. He then led PPI’s Trade and Global Markets Project from 2001 to 2011. After PPI, he co-founded and directed the independent think tank ProgressiveEconomy until rejoining USTR in 2015. In 2013, the Washington International Trade Association presented him with its Lighthouse Award, awarded annually to an individual or group for significant contributions to trade policy.

Ed is the author of Freedom from Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy (2007).  He has published in a variety of journals and newspapers, and his research has been cited by leading academics and international organizations including the WTO, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. He is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia Universities and a certificate from the Averell Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of the Soviet Union.

Beth Hughes is the Vice President of Trade and Customs Policy at American Apparel and Footwear Association. She is responsible for supporting the association’s efforts on international trade and customs issues. Beth oversees AAFA’s Trade Policy Committee, as well as AAFA’s Customs Group. Before joining AAFA, Beth served for six years as senior director, international affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association. Beth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at George Washington University and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from Florida State University.

Olawunmi Osholake is the Deputy Managing Director of the Global Shea Alliance. Wunmi drives the development and growth of the Alliance in areas of sustainability, promotion, finance and administration. Specifically, she oversees the implementation of the GSA’s (Global Shea Alliance) sustainability program, develops and maintains relationships with international stakeholders, and manages GSA’s (Global Shea Alliance) external communications.

Nicole Bivens Collinson is a Managing Principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations Practice Leader with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. She is located in the Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Collinson is a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC and is the lead professional on ST&R’s engagement as legislative counsel to the National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA).

Prior to joining ST&R 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 past 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, treasurer and board member of the Washington International Trade Association, and a member of the Washington International Trade Association Foundation and Women in Government Relations. She serves on the board of trustees for Georgetown College and 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.

Ken Levinson serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and Washington International Trade Foundation.

WITA is the world’s largest non-profit, non-partisan membership organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA and its affiliated groups have over 10,000 members, and more than 160 corporate sponsors and group memberships.

Ken has over 30 years of experience working with companies, associations, NGOs and governments, advocating innovative solutions to complex public policy challenges. Over the years, Ken has worked with clients in the technology, telecommunications, biopharmaceuticals, agriculture and food, financial services, retail, apparel, energy, and consumer products sectors.

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. Ken advised the Senator on foreign policy and national security matters, and served as the Senator’s chief advisor on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, dealing with issues related to international trade and tax policy.

Ken received his Master’s Degree 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 Trade & Development – Renewing AGOA, GSP and HOPE/HELP for Haiti appeared first on WITA.

On June 18, WITA and the Wilson Center Africa Program held an event discussing the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and U.S- Africa trade and investment.

U.S. Senator Chris Coons gave featured remarks on the importance of strengthening ties between the U.S. and Africa, and the bipartisan AGOA Renewal and Improvement Act, a bill that would enhance and extend AGOA until 2041.

Following his remarks, an expert panel reflected on the progress of AGOA and lessons for policymakers. They explored steps that could be taken to further expand AGOA access and utilization, as well as integrate AGOA with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to support the development of intra-African supply chains.

Featured Speaker and Openings Remarks:

Chris Coons, U.S. Senator, Delaware

Ambassador Mark A. Green, President & CEO, Wilson Center

Panel Discussion:

Florizelle Liser, President and CEO, Corporate Council on Africa

Kendra Gaither, President, US- Africa Business Center, US Chamber of Commerce

Patrick Utomi, Professor at the Lagos Business School

Sam duPont, Economic Policy Advisor, Office of U.S. Senator Chris Coons

Moderators:

Witney Schneidman, Senior International Advisor, Covington & Burling LLP; Member, Africa Program Advisory Council

Oge Onubogu, Director, Africa Program

For additional information, please see the Wilson Center’s video page.

The post Senator Chris Coons on AGOA Reauthorization and Panel Discussion on the Future of US- Africa Trade and Investment appeared first on WITA.

On June 5, WITA and the U.S. Council for International Business discussed a global regulatory framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the recommendations of the OECD’s Council on Artificial Intelligence.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Orit Frenkel, CEO and co-founder of the American Leadership Initiative. She recently co-authored the paper, U.S. Leadership on AI Global Governance. 

Kate Goodloe, Managing Director at BSA | The Software Alliance.

Karine Perset, Head of the AI Unit and OECD.AI at the OECD Digital Economy Policy Division.

David C. Turnbull, U.S. Delegate to the OECD Digital Policy Committee & GPAI in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the Office of Multilateral Affairs in the U.S. Department of State.

Howard Wachtel, Senior Director and Head of UN and International Organizations Policy at Microsoft.

Moderator: Cheryl Miller, Vice President of Digital Policy at the U.S. Council for International Business.

Speaker Biographies:

Dr. Orit Frenkel is the CEO and co-founder of the American Leadership Initiative. She recently co-authored the paper, U.S. Leadership on AI Global Governance. She has 39 years of experience working on Asia, trade, and foreign policy issues, with a special emphasis on the challenges facing U.S. manufacturing companies. Prior to founding ALI, Frenkel was a senior executive with General Electric Company for 26 years. In that position, she was responsible for supporting GE’s international sales, policy objectives, government relations, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. 

Dr. Frenkel started her career in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative where she was the Director for Trade in High Technology Products and Deputy Director for Trade with Japan, and spent a detail working for Congressman Lee Hamilton during his time as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Dr. Frenkel is also the President of Frenkel Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in Asia policy, market access issues and international trade. She is a member of APCO’s International Advisory Committee, and a Senior Advisor with Asia Group Advisors.

She is the author of numerous published articles on trade and foreign policy issues, as well as a book on the negotiation of the US-Israel Free Trade Area. She is an Adjunct Fellow with the Center on Strategic and International Studies, and has served on the board of numerous trade associations and on Department of Commerce and State Advisory panels. Ms. Frenkel received a Ph.D.in International Economics from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.P.P. from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. in Economics with honors from University of Maryland (Phi Beta Kappa). 

Kate Goodloe is the Managing Director at BSA | The Software Alliance. At BSA, Goodloe works with members to develop and advance policy positions on privacy, as well as artificial intelligence and law enforcement access.

Goodloe has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University Law School, where she taught a seminar on artificial intelligence law and policy. Before joining BSA, Goodloe was a senior associate in the Privacy & Cybersecurity practice at Covington & Burling LLP. In that role, she counseled technology companies on a range of privacy and law enforcement access issues and represented companies in privacy-related litigation, as well as in investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and by Congress. She previously served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Goodloe is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the New York University School of Law. She is based in BSA’s Washington, DC, office.

Karine Perset is Head of the AI Unit and OECD.AI at the OECD Digital Economy Policy Division where she oversees the OECD.AI Policy Observatory and the OECD.AI Network of Experts (ONE AI). She focuses on trends in the development and diffusion of AI and on opportunities and challenges that AI raises for public policy. Perset’s recent research focused on Internet intermediaries and Internet governance.

She was previously Advisor to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and before that was the Counsellor of the OECD’s Science, Technology, and Industry (STI) Directors. 

Perset holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Westminster, and two Master’s degrees in ICT & Telecommunications and International Economics from Université Paris Dauphine.

David C. Turnbull is the U.S. Delegate to the OECD Digital Policy Committee and Global Partnership on AI. He works in the International Information and Communications Policy Office of Multilateral Affairs in the bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy in Washington DC, with a focus on AI policy. Previously, he was the Arabic spokesperson in the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem, and the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau. David is a career public diplomacy officer who has served in Ho Chi Minh City, at USNATO, in Sana’a Yemen, and several tours in Washington working on European and East Asian Affairs. He is accompanied by his spouse, Anne Eisenhower Turnbull, a Civil Service Officer in Global Talent Management, their twin boys, and a toy poodle named Lady. David hails from upstate New York and is a lifelong Buffalo sports fan.

Howard Wachtel is the Senior Director and Head of UN and International Organizations Policy at Microsoft.

Prior to his role at Microsoft, Wachtel was a senior director and head of global sanctions policy and strategy at PayPal. He spent over a decade in several roles in the US government, including as a civil servant at the National Security Council (as Director of UN and Multilateral Affairs), the US Department of State (as Acting Coordinator of Sanctions Policy, and previously as deputy coordinator and senior adviser in the same office), and the US Mission to the UN (as a policy adviser).  In these roles, he covered a range of issues involving the UN, peacekeeping, international justice, multilateral sanctions, and human rights.

Wachtel began his career as a litigation associate at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He has taught a variety of courses on the UN, sanctions, public international law, and counterterrorism policy as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, Duke, and NYU. Wachtel is currently a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center and serves on the board of directors of the Global Center on Cooperative Security. He is also working as a part-time consultant and legal adviser for a UN task team responsible for facilitating the export of food and fertilizer out of Russia and Ukraine.

Wachtel received a BS in international politics from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, a General Course diploma from the London School of Economics, and both a JD and LLM in international and comparative law from Duke. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, and a mini golden doodle.

Cheryl Miller is the Vice President of Digital Policy at the U.S. Council for International Business. She has extensive experience in the private and public sectors, having led Meta’s and Verizon’s global internet policy practices at major international standards bodies, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), among others.

She was also the deputy staff director for technology and innovation at the US Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Ken Levinson serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and Washington International Trade Foundation.

WITA is the world’s largest non-profit, non-partisan membership organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA and its affiliated groups have over 10,000 members, and more than 160 corporate sponsors and group memberships.

Ken has over 30 years of experience working with companies, associations, NGOs and governments, advocating innovative solutions to complex public policy challenges. Over the years, Ken has worked with clients in the technology, telecommunications, biopharmaceuticals, agriculture and food, financial services, retail, apparel, energy, and consumer products sectors.

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. Ken advised the Senator on foreign policy and national security matters, and served as the Senator’s chief advisor on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, dealing with issues related to international trade and tax policy.

Ken received his Master’s Degree 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 Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence appeared first on WITA.