Washington, D.C., October 16, 2014 – How are cross-border trade and investment changing in an era of ever-more sophisticated global value chains? What new policies and agreements are needed to ensure that trade and investment can generate high-quality jobs and other benefits to society? And how can new research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shed light on these changes and provide insight for policy makers?
These will be among the central questions addressed at a timely, high-level conference, “Exploring New Approaches to Trade, Investment and Jobs: Insight and Impact for Business from the OECD,” to be held October 30 at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. Organized by the USCIB Foundation (the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business), the OECD and BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, the conference will highlight the OECD’s innovative work in the areas of trade and investment, and address how this work impacts policy, job creation and trade negotiations around the world.
“It’s clear that a 21st-century trade policy must address a host of new concerns beyond ‘old-school’ issues like tariffs and quotas,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “While those types of trade barriers still exist, their importance is fast being eclipsed by the growth of global value chains, barriers to trade in services, new investment agreements, trade facilitation, and the relationship between regional and multilateral trade negotiations.”
The event will bring together experts from the OECD, U.S. and foreign governments, and business to assess the issues and discuss solutions. Participants will draw upon the innovative research and policy discussions coming from the OECD – including its Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, OECD-WTO efforts to measure trade in value-added, and studies on the importance of global value chains.
Keynote remarks at the conference will be delivered by U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. Other speakers include:
- Cathy Novelli, under secretary for economic growth, energy and the environment, U.S. Department of State
- Mari Kiviniemi, deputy secretary general, OECD, former prime minister of Finland
- Yonov Frederick Agah, deputy director general, World Trade Organization
- Ambassador Susan Schwab, strategic advisor, Mayer Brown, former U.S. trade representative
- Harold McGraw III, chairman of McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global], chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), chairman of USCIB
- Ken Ash, director, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD
- The Honorable James Bacchus, chair of Greenberg Traurig’s global practice, former chairman of the WTO Appellate Body, and chairman of the ICC Commission on Trade and Investment Policy
- Phil O’Reilly, CEO of Business New Zealand, chairman of BIAC.
More information about the conference is available here.
About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.
Contact: Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org
