Member Staff News — Spread the Word!

Maximizing Membership. Optimizing Participation

Member retention is high on our priority list at USCIB. A new series of briefings, entitled “Maximizing Membership. Optimizing Participation,” is designed to increase member engagement through learning about the range of policy issues covered at USCIB, and offers members insight into the scope of USCIB’s advocacy and our 2013 priorities. Our goal is to have every member briefed, to have their questions answered and to have everything they need to get the most value from their investment in USCIB. With briefings offered to new and longtime members alike, both groups have told us they learned something new about what USCIB offers, and that they plan to take the information back to their colleagues to encourage them to get involved. More than 50 companies have participated since the series was launched in February 2013, and we can already point to increased engagement on many of our committees, thereby delivering more value for your membership dollars. To schedule a briefing for your company, contact Alison Hoiem, Member Services Director (ahoiem@uscib.org).

2013 has been a banner year for new corporate membership, with a diverse group of companies from a wide range of industries joining the ranks of USCIB members. These include Darden, Dell, Deutsche Telecom, DIAGEO, McDonalds, Nabors Industries, Mozilla, Nissan NA, Target and TD Bank. While each new member joins us for specific policy issues that are important to their business, they also recognize the critical and unique value USCIB provides to all members – regardless of industry or specific interests – by delivering three things even these very large companies cannot do by themselves:

  1. Global issues management team for…
    • informed analysis of emerging global issues
    • access to and influence with key international policymakers
  2. Peer network of leading global companies for…
    • insight on the experiences and responses of other companies
    • collective action to shape global policy debates
  3. Direct, proactive member support for…
    • amplifying company messaging though our global network
    • timely responses to support members and/or prevent issues

Isn’t it time you told your peers about USCIB? Contact Alison Hoiem, Member Services Director (ahoiem@uscib.org), with prospects you think will benefit from joining USCIB – and Spread the Word!

USCIB Staff News

Diana Jack
Diana Jack
Rachel Spence
Rachel Spence

We welcome two new staff members to USCIB. Rachel Spence has joined us in New York as a Policy and Program Assistant. A graduate of Lafayette College, Rachel received her master’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University in May. We also welcome Diana Jack, who has joined our Washington office as a Policy and Program Assistant. Diana is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the newest members of USCIB:

Darden Restaurants

Greater Des Moines Partnership

To learn more about the benefits of membership in USCIB, please contact Alison Hoiem, Director of Member Services, at 202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org.

Member Staff News:

Joseph Alhadeff
Joseph Alhadeff

Oracle’s Alhadeff is New Chair of ICC Digital Economy Commission

In April, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) announced the appointment of Joseph Alhadeff as the new chair of the ICC Commission on the Digital Economy Alhadeff, chief privacy strategist and vice president for global public policy at Oracle Corp., has served as vice chair of the ICC commission since 2002. He will take over from Herbert Heitmann, executive vice president of external communications at Royal Dutch Shell, who will step down from the post at the commission’s summer meeting in Paris. The commission develops policy positions for the Internet and ICTs on behalf of users, providers and operators of information technology. Alhadeff also chairs the Information Communications and Computing Policy Committee at BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD.

USCIB’s Duncan to Head Coordinating Body for Global Carnet System

The World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC), the body responsible for managing the international guarantee chain for ATA Carnets – which allow for temporary duty- and tax-free export and import of goods – has elected Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president of Carnet and trade services, as its next chair. Duncan takes over the leadership role from Peter Bishop, who stepped down after nine years at the helm. Managed jointly by ICC’s World Chambers Federation and the World Customs Organization, the ATA Carnet system enables duty-free and tax-free temporary import of goods of professional equipment, commercial samples, and goods for trade fairs and exhibitions for up to one year. Today the Carnet system is in force in 73 countries.

USCIB Staff News

Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs, participated in a March OECD Business Dialogue on 21st Century Trade Barriers in Paris, where he noted growing member concerns with forced localization requirements, restrictions on cross-border data flows, unfair competition from state-owned enterprises, and customs related impediments. The OECD has released a summary report of the dialogue, which was organized in partnership with BIAC, available at www.oecd.org/trade/tradedev/IBD2013Report.pdf. … Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, has joined the policy advisory committee at Transparency International (TI)’s U.S. chapter. TI is the leading anti-corruption NGO working to combat bribery and extortion worldwide.

Josefa Sicard-Mirabal, who serves as director for North America at the ICC International Court of Arbitration (working out of USCIB’s New York headquarters), was honored in June at the Fourth Annual Latina Trailblazers Breakfast, which celebrates “phenomenal Latinas whose accomplishments serve as a testament to the extraordinary power wielded by smart, creative and energetic Latinas with a conscience.” Congratulations, Josefa! … Joining Josefa’s team as deputy director of arbitration and ADR is Rachel Clarke, who comes to us from Newport News, Virginia where she practiced toxic tort litigation at a boutique law firm. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Welcome, Rachel!

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the newest members of USCIB:

Merck & Co., Inc.

Nissan North America

PartnerRe

Sherman & Howard

 

To learn more about the benefits of membership in USCIB, please contact Abby Shapiro, Senior Vice President of Business Development, at 617-242-0205 or ashapiro@uscib.org.

Member Staff News: Help Us Keep USCIB’s Member Base Growing

USCIB’s membership is growing!  This year, more than ever, we owe our success to USCIB’s volunteer leadership – our current members – who have worked hard to open doors and tell their peers about the benefits of a USCIB membership.  Our 2012 membership campaign, led by USCIB’s Executive Committee and many key members, has resulted in the addition of 21 new members in the first half of 2012 – the most new members in the first six months of any year since 2005.

While that’s great news, now is not the time to sit back.  Competition for membership dollars is at an all-time high, and we need your help to tell the USCIB story to as many prospects as we can.

If you have a contact at a company that could benefit from USCIB membership, here are three simple steps you can take to get the ball rolling:

  1. E-mail or call with testimonial support on the value USCIB brings to your organization.
  2. Invite them to join you at a committee meeting as an observer to see how the process works first-hand.
  3. Offer them a one-year complimentary subscription to International Business.

Then be sure to let us know.  When you reach out, you’ll be helping to enrich your own membership at USCIB by adding more voices to support action on issues that are important to your company.  For more information on how you can get involved, contact me at ashapiro@uscinb.org, or Member Services Director Alison Hoiem at ahoiem@uscib.org. You’ll be glad you did.

Rob Mulligan
Rob Mulligan

Mulligan to Help Lead BIAC Trade Committee

USCIB Senior Vice President Rob Mulligan has been appointed by the BIAC (Business & Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) Executive Board as vice chair of the BIAC Trade Committee.  Rob, who heads USCIB’s Washington, D.C. office, together with Committee Chair Cliff Sosnow and Vice Chair Oliver Wieck, will help guide BIAC’s work on trade, which is currently focused on trade and jobs, global value chains, services trade, export restrictions, non-tariff measures and state-owned enterprises.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

DirecTV Latin America

Dickstein Shapiro LLP

McDermott Will & Emery LLP

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

WeiserMazars LLP

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

Preparing Students for 21stCentury Jobs

Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s executive vice president for policy, makes a point at the February roundtable.
Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s executive vice president for policy, makes a point at the February roundtable.

What preparation do students need to make the most of emerging opportunities in the global economy? Although a lot of research has taken place on this question, there has been no visible consensus on what education systems should do to respond to the challenge.

That’s why The United States Council Foundation and The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation in February hosted a distinguished group of leading economists, technologists, educators and business representatives to candidly explore the impact of technology on automation and outsourcing, and corresponding education priorities for human capital development.

The goal of this groundbreaking initiative is to present a clearer picture of employability trends by synthesizing the various conversations taking place around this issue, and to offer cogent recommendations on how education systems could adapt. Participants included Andreas Schleicher, special advisor on education policy to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, who is responsible for the development and analysis of cross-border benchmarks on the performance of education systems.

A white paper has been commissioned to reflect the roundtable discussion intended for distribution to government agencies, academia and business – in the U.S. and globally – to influence the policy debate around these issues. For more information on this project, contact Abby Shapiro, senior vice president for business development (ashapiro@uscib.org).

Staff contact: Abby Shapiro

Reach Out! 2012 USCIB Member-Get-a-Member Drive

For over 60 years, USCIB has been the voice for American multinationals around the world by working to shape a level playing field where trade and investment can flourish. You depend on USCIB to represent your interests, both through direct representations to the U.S. and foreign governments, and through our engagement in international policy-making and regulatory bodies. And we count on you, too!

We know our current members are the best possible source for new members who could benefit from all USCIB has to offer. Every time you recruit a new member, you strengthen USCIB. And a stronger, growing and vital USCIB means greater recognition of our mission and the advancement of our global advocacy to address international regulatory policies affecting your business.

This year, with our “Member-Get-a-Member” drive, we’re made referring a colleague to USCIB easier than ever. There are several ways you can help USCIB grow:

  • You can simply provide us with your colleagues’ names and contact information and we’ll send them a membership information package.
  • You can make a personal introduction, let them know why you support USCIB and ask them to talk with us about membership. Send us their name and contact information and we’ll contact them.
  • You can invite a colleague to join you at a USCIB event or committee meeting to experience USCIB in action. Let us know and we’ll be sure to flag this for follow up.
  • You can direct them to www.uscib.org to see what we offer. Again, let us know your colleagues’ name and contact information so we can follow up.

So help us Reach Out! And together we’ll make 2012 a banner year for membership in USCIB. For more information on how you can help, contact Alison Hoiem, manager of member services, at 202-682-1291, or e-mail her at ahoiem@uscib.org.

Contact Abby Shapiro at 212-703-5064 or ashapiro@uscib.org.

USCIB Staff News: Adam Greene, USCIB’s vice president for labor affairs and corporate responsibility, has been named by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements. The recently reconstituted advisory committee provides advice to the Secretary of Labor on the implementation of labor rules in existing free trade agreements, and on the labor provisions of FTAs being negotiated. Adam joins other business representatives (all from USCIB’s membership): Darryl Knudsen of Gap Inc., Ed Potter of The Coca-Cola Company (chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee) and Anna Walker of Levi Strauss & Co. … In October, Charlene Flick, USCIB’s director of intellectual property and competition at USCIB, addressed the Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel in Santa Clara, California. Ms. Flick discussed emerging legal challenges for U.S. companies as they expand internationally, and specifically how USCIB helps American industry navigate an increasingly complex global marketplace… Justine Kharnak has joined USCIB as development assistant for our ATA Carnet department. Justine will support outreach to customers with the goal of growing the Carnet business across the United States. She comes to us from the law firm Jones Day, and is a graduate of Baruch College.

Innovation Requires Global Commitment Says 3M CEO

George Buckley of 3M, recipient of USCIB’s 2010 International Leadership Award.
George Buckley of 3M, recipient of USCIB’s 2010 International Leadership Award.

Successful innovation is increasingly global in scope and requires intense commitment from everyone in a company.  This was the message delivered by George Buckley, CEO of 3M Company, as he was honored last night by USCIB at a gala dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.

“The kernel of successful innovation is to hire the right people, inspire them, give them a dream and the resources to get the job done, and then stand back,” stated Mr. Buckley.  “Like an attentive parent helping a child learn to ride a bicycle, only help them when it looks like they might fall off.”

USCIB presented Mr. Buckley with its International Leadership Award, recognizing top performance in promoting closer international cooperation to support trade and investment, before an audience of global business executives and diplomats.  The event marked the award’s 30th anniversary.  Recent honorees have included Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola and Fisk Johnson of SC Johnson.

In his first remarks to the annual award dinner since becoming chairman of USCIB earlier this year, Harold McGraw III, CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies, himself a 2006 award recipient, urged the incoming Congress to work with the White House to advance a pro-trade agenda.

“As we rebuild our economy in the months ahead, we must take a different course.  President Obama has set a worthy goal of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years.  And when the new Congress convenes, Republicans and Democrats need to work together to meet it.  They can start by approving our three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama.”

In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Buckley said success in innovation often means “doubling down” on international investments, which he called “the single critical element in 3M’s ability to emerge from the economic turmoil as a stronger enterprise.”

The 3M chief said successful innovation also has strong roots in a company’s culture.  “Innovation and creativity can only flourish in an atmosphere of relative freedom,” he said.  “I don’t mean laissez-faire or anarchy, but constructive freedom with interesting guidance of great  employees by enlightened managers. That’s how it gets done.”  He noted that 3M researchers are encouraged to allocate 15 percent of their time to pursuing their own ideas.

Dinner attendees included previous International Leadership Award recipients George David (United Technologies) and Abraham Katz, USCIB’s president emeritus.  A highlight of the gala event was the screening of a video featuring interviews with several past award winners, including James Robinson (American Express), Chad Holliday (Dupont), Frank Popoff (Dow) and Lee Raymond (ExxonMobil).  More information on the award dinner and the International Leadership Award is available at https://uscib.org/annual-award-dinner-ud-850.

New Working Group on Business Migration

The ability to move personnel across borders, as well as the impact of migration restrictions on business operations and competitiveness, are key concerns for global companies. Responding to member interest, USCIB is establishing a new Working Group on Global Business Migration, to develop and represent U.S. business views in key intergovernmental discussions on migration.

Labor migration has emerged as an important issue in international policy, especially since the establishment in 2007 of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) to increase cooperation on migration policies. The GFMD includes 120 national governments and is chaired by Peter Sutherland, the UN’s special representative for migration (and chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International).

Business involvement in the early GFMD meetings was limited, as was awareness of industry concerns among participating governments. To help address this, the GFMD organized a business roundtable in advance of its 2009 meeting.  At the roundtable, industry put forward a paper, “A Corporate Perspective on International Business Migration,” by Ellen Yost (Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy) and Lynn Shotwell (American Council on International Personnel).  A similar roundtable is planned in advance of the next GFMD meeting in November 2010.

Other intergovernmental organizations, including the ILO and the WTO, have also begun looking at issues related to business migration.  In addition, the OECD held a high-level forum on migration in Paris in 2009, and plans a conference on entrepreneurship and employment creation for immigrants in 2010.  The new working group will likely use the access provided by USCIB’s global network to engage directly in these discussions.

To join the new working group or for more information, contact Kate Whitelaw (kwhitelaw@uscib.org).

In Remembrance: Francis Blanchard

USCIB notes with sadness the passing in December of Francis Blanchard, director general of the International Labor Organization from 1973 to 1989, at age 93.  The ILO’s second-longest serving chief, Mr. Blanchard presided over the organization during an eventful period in history, which included U.S. withdrawal from the ILO between 1977 and 1980.  Under his stewardship, the ILO played an important role in  the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland.   He will be remembered with appreciation and respect by all the employer delegates who worked with him.

USCIB Staff News

Changes are afoot in USCIB’s membership and business development staff.  Abby Shapiro has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President for Business Development, where she will spearhead our efforts to recruit new members and extend the integration of USCIB trade services for both members and non-members alike.  Meanwhile, Alison Hoiem has been promoted to the position of Manager, Member Services, where she will focus on facilitating member/staff consultation on policy priorities and nurturing dialogue with member contacts. Alison is also supporting outreach to prospective members, which has resulted in several new members in recent months.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

North American Used Vehicles Exporters Association

Silicones Environmental, Health and Safety Council of North America

Silver Nanotechnology Working Group

Tyco International

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (212-703-5095 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

Potter Is New Labor Committee Chair

Winter 2009/2010

3986_image002
Edward E. Potter of The Coca-Cola Company at USCIB’s February 2009 forum on child labor

Edward E. Potter, director of global labor relations with The Coca-Cola Company, is the new chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Policy Committee.  With extensive experience in international labor, workplace rights and employment law issues, Mr. Potter’s responsibilities include global labor and employee relations as well as the workplace social compliance of the business system and supply chain.  He has been closely involved with USCIB and the International Labor Organization, both at The Coca-Cola Company and at the law firm McGuinness & Williams, for over 25 years.

Business Leaders Sought for ICANN

USCIB members, please take note: the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is seeking nominations for leadership positions within the organization, including three ICANN board director positions that will be vacated in 2010.  Candidates need not have previous direct exposure to ICANN, but should be experienced in high-level business representation.  Christopher Martin, USCIB’s manager for marketing, ICTs and emerging markets, is serving on the ICANN nominating committee assessing candidate. Contact Chris at cgmartin@uscib.org for more information.  The application deadline is April 2, 2010.

USCIB Staff News

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson has been re-elected to the board of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.  NAFSA is the world’s largest nonprofit professional association dedicated to international education. … Kate Whitelaw has joined USCIB’s policy and program staff as an intern, assisting Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene on various environmental, corporate responsibility and human rights issues.  Kate holds a B.A. in political science and religious studies from Queen’s University in Canada, and has worked with Oxfam Canada, the Clinton Foundation and the International Crisis Group.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following organizations as the most recent new members of USCIB:

  • BP America
  • Bingham McCutchen LLP
  • Chaffetz Lindsey LLP
  • McCarthy Tétrault LLP

To learn how your organization can benefit from USCIB membership, contact Alison Hoiem at (212) 703-5095 or ahoiem@uscib.org.

 

USCIBs Annual Dinner Celebrates Dual Anniversaries

ICC’s 90th, ATA Carnet’s 40th on display as USCIB members celebrate

By Bill Armbruster

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Click here for more photos from the dinner

Over 300 USCIB members and guests gathered at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on October 8 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Chamber of Commerce and the 40th anniversary of the ATA Carnet system in the United States.

The annual dinner featured a star-studded trio of speakers: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, ICC Chairman Victor Fung, and CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

Noting that governments have tended to turn inward during periods of economic difficulty, Secretary Locke said they should instead foster trade as other sources of growth such as consumer and business spending deteriorate. To that end, the first priority on his trade agenda is to ramp up the Commerce Department’s trade promotion activities.

“Right now, U.S. companies aren’t anywhere near maximizing their export potential,” Mr. Locke said, noting that 97 percent of U.S. exporters are small- and medium-size businesses, but that they only account for 30 percent of export value.  Moreover, of the U.S. companies that do export, 58 percent export to just one country.

Action needed on visas and export controls

ICC Chairman Victor Fung

Mr. Locke said he was looking forward to working with USCIB “to help educate U.S. companies about the ATA Carnet system, which allows temporary duty-free, tax-free exports of commercial samples, professional equipments and goods displayed at trade shows.”

The Commerce Secretary drew applause from the audience when he stressed the need for the U.S. to adopt a more flexible visa policy.

“The United States often makes it too difficult for foreign company executives to enter here to do business,” he said, noting that U.S. companies have lost billions of dollars in sales because their customers and potential customers were denied visas.  Boeing, for example, recently had to delay the delivery of a $250 million freighter because an inspector from the Chinese aviation authority didn’t receive his visa on time, Mr. Locke said.

Mr. Locke said another top priority is reform of the U.S. export-control system to free American companies “from an outdated set of rules that often prevents them from selling items that are readily available from non-U.S. companies.”  One goal is to eliminate export-license requirements for products with primarily commercial applications sold to some 40 to 60 U.S. allies.  Another is to implement a fast-track review procedure for exports to other countries.  He also called for improved intellectual-property protection, particularly enforcement of trade agreements.

Praise for ICC

Secretary Locke hailed the ICC, saying: “You’ve been a long-time advocate for the power of open markets to unlock human potential across the globe – and your work, and that of the U.S. Council for International Business, has never been more important than now.”

Trade promotion is nothing new for the Commerce Secretary.  During his tenure as governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, he helped open doors for businesses in his state by leading multiple trade missions to Asia, Mexico and Europe.  His visits to China are credited with helping to more than double exports by Washington companies to over $5 billion per year.

Mr. Fung, who became ICC chairman in July 2008, said the organization’s 90th anniversary has been a year-long, worldwide affairs, including the launch of the ICC Research Foundation and the World Chambers Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The research foundation’s mission is to provide intellectual leadership on public policy issues, with a focus on global trade and investment.

“We must resist protectionism and narrow economic nationalism, while further strengthening the multilateral trading system by concluding the Doha Round,” said Mr. Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group of companies.

Turning to the upcoming UN summit on climate change, which takes place in Copenhagen in December, the ICC leader stressed the need “to find a concerted and collaborative route to resolve the conflicting demands of stimulating quality growth while slowing greenhouse gas emissions with a transition to less carbon-intensive economies.”

Ms. Amanpour, who has won a bushel of awards for her reporting from hotspots around the globe as CNN’s chief international correspondent, noted the applause that greeted Secretary Locke’s comments about the impact of visa denials to foreign business people.  Such restrictions “impoverish understanding,” she said, adding that she struggles against unreasonable barriers to information.

Citing her documentary series “Generation Islam” this past summer, the CNN correspondent said the U.S. cannot afford to have another generation of Muslim youth who view it as the enemy.  Both global business and the journalism community have a role to play in illuminating the sources of conflict around the world, said Ms. Amanpour, who now has her own 30-minute program, Amanpour, on CNN International on weekday evenings.  She also has a one-hour program on CNN on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Four Decades of ATA Carnets in the United States

Excerpts from remarks by USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson

2009 marks the fortieth anniversary of the ATA Carnet system in the United States.  For those of you who don’t know, a Carnet is an internationally recognized customs document that allows  goods to move temporarily into some 80 countries and customs territories around the world, without having to pay duties or taxes.

This unique system was originally conceived of by ICC, together with the World Customs Organization, and we at USCIB worked closely with our government, including U.S. Customs and the Commerce Department, to get it adopted here four decades ago.

As Secretary Locke mentioned, USCIB and the Commerce Department continue to work together.  Recently a Memorandum of Agreement was signed which will allow us to join forces to extend awareness of the benefits of Carnets among smaller U.S. exporters.  This is the kind of focused business-government partnership that can make a real difference in driving U.S. exports, investment and economic growth.

Earlier, [USCIB Chairman] Bill Parrett extended our gratitude to our service providers, Roanoke Trade Services and the Corporation for International Business.  To [Roanoke and CIB Chairmen] Bill Sterrett and Bruce Wilson, let me just add my own words of thanks for all that you have done over the years to support USCIB and to  extend and improve the system, for the benefit of USCIB’s members and Carnet users worldwide.

Both the ICC and Carnet connections are unique to USCIB, part of the value added we bring to our members.  Needless to say, something like an ATA Carnet can save companies a lot of time, money and hassle.  Much of corporate America, both large and small companies make use of Carnets.  USCIB members familiar with the system include,  Boeing, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle,  Cisco,  Tiffany and Ringling Brothers.  And Carnets are always popular with news-gathering operations like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox  and… CNN!

More on the ATA Carnet Export Service

 

Bill Armbruster is the former editor of Shipping Digest and covered USCIB’s Annual Dinner for many years for Shipping Digest and the Journal of Commerce.

More on USCIB’s 2009 Annual Dinner

Member Staff News: USCIB Membership Growth Driven by New Issues

By Bill Martin

Bill Martin, USCIB’s Vice President for Membership
Bill Martin, USCIB’s Vice President for Membership

Welcome to USCIB’s new members in 2007!   We are thrilled to have such a diverse and prestigious group of companies, law firms and associations join and contribute to the work we do.   We will work hard to deliver the value that companies continue to expect from USCIB membership.

Critical areas that have secured membership include, for example, the work of our Customs Committee, with its formal channel into the World Customs Organization, its work on security and trade facilitation regulations as well as on mutual recognition programs for U.S. and EU border security requirements.

Another area of importance is the comprehensive work of our China Committee, especially how the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, part of USCIB’s global network, leverages the OECD’s strong advisory relationship with the Chinese government as it continues down the path of economic reform and liberalization.

Why have so many organizations joined USCIB in 2007?   From the perspective of our  policy advocacy work, our new members have identified a number of areas, from among the comprehensive set of over 30 international policy issues areas we cover, that USCIB can address on their behalf.

USCIB’s Arbitration Committee has drawn interest because it allows members to influence the ICC International Court of Arbitration, participate on ICC arbitration task forces and receive advance notice when the court nominates arbitrators.

The work of our Product Policy Working Group, which addresses international chemicals regulations and how these affect U.S. firms, has provided a strong conduit for membership.  In addition, our Marketing and Advertising Committee’s work on the roll-out of the ICC’s Marketing and Advertising Code of self-regulation, plus our Tax Committee’s attention to such bottom-line issues as the OECD’s model rules on business restructuring, have also garnered the interest of new member.

More broadly, organizations join USCIB because of our unique international channels that allow members to influence the policy-making process before regulations are determined.  They also value the access to critical decision-makers and multilateral institutions that influence regulatory policy in regions where member companies operate.  And they are attracted to USCIB’s comprehensive array of international policy information that supplement in-house staff and knowledge.

If your organization is interested in joining USCIB, or if you’re already members but know someone who should be involved, please let us know!  Contact USCIB Member Service at +1 212-703-5064.

USCIB’s Chairman on the “Sentinel CEO”

Dealing with terrorism, pandemics and other previously unimaginable events is now top of mind for business executives, writes USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett in a new book, The Sentinel CEO: Perspectives on Security, Risk, and Leadership in a Post -9.11 World (John Wiley & Sons; $29.95; July 2007).  Mr.Parrett, senior partner and former CEO with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, shares the thoughts of CEOs around the world on their new approaches to corporate security and risk management.

The book suggests change is underway: risk management is evolving to become integrated into a company’s strategic activities and corporate culture, more lateral thinking to imagine the unimaginable is emerging, and companies are dealing more and more with anti-western sentiments.  Mr. Parrett underscores how a corporation’s core values can help it address and recover from unforeseen threats.  He concludes that, in the long run, those organizations that most effectively and efficiently manage risks in a holistic sense, in terms of both existing assets and future growth, will outperform those that do not.

Other Member News

In July, USCIB Vice Chair Stuart McGill announced his retirement from ExxonMobil after 38 years with the company. … New USCIB Trustees: Inge Thulin (executive vice president, 3M Company), Ian Read (president of worldwide pharmaceutical operations, Pfizer Inc), and Geoffrey Merszei (executive vice president and CFO, Dow Chemical Company).  Mr. Merszei also joins the Executive Committee, USCIB’s board of directors. … Executive Committee member Lionel Johnson has joined GoodWorks International Consulting, a firm founded by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, as senior vice president.