Kira Yevtukhova Archives

Calling All App Developers! – BIAC “Connected Communities, Connected Lives” Hackathon Contest in Mexico

Published on May 11, 2016

Smartphone_mobile_globeNew York, N.Y., May 10, 2016 – As government officials prepare for an OECD Ministerial next month to explore the evolution of the digital economy as a platform for economic growth and social progress, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) invites all coders and app developers to compete for cash prizes at a Hackathon contest taking place on June 20 and 21 in Cancun, Mexico, in association with the 2016 OECD Ministerial on the Digital Economy.

“The Hackathon is a fantastic opportunity for young app developers to demonstrate their talents to digital economy policymakers and executives from the world’s leading tech companies,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “We will be treated to an insider’s view on the innovative process that drives the digital economy.”

Organized by the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, the Hackathon invites coders to compete in teams within the following app categories: cultural heritage, smart city, social inclusion and entrepreneurship. Winners will be announced at the OECD Ministerial dinner on June 22. Several awards and prizes are up for grabs, including the grand prize of $10,000 and four months’ mentorship by Angel Ventures. Free lodging will be provided for those team members selected to attend the dinner.

Hackathon participants are invited to register for the event on BIAC’s website.

As the U.S. affiliate to BIAC, USCIB has played an active role in planning the Hackathon. The following USCIB members are sponsoring the event: AT&T, Cisco, Disney, Google, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft and Verisign.

Members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will gather in Cancun, Mexico from June 21 to 23 for a Ministerial meeting to discuss new approaches to digital economy policy. Click here for more information on the Ministerial.

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 information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

OECD Tax Conference to Examine Challenges of BEPS Implementation

Published on May 9, 2016

taxconferenceWashington, D.C., May 10, 2016 – After three years of negotiations, the OECD/G20 project on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) designed to address corporate tax avoidance concluded last year with governments developing a framework for modernizing international tax rules. As the focus of this work shifts to implementation, in which the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will invite all interested jurisdictions to become part of a dialogue that will directly shape monitoring processes on BEPS issues, government officials, company executives and tax practitioners will gather June 6-7 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the challenges of BEPS implementation and the future of global tax policy.

The 2016 OECD International Tax Conference, which will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel, will provide a unique opportunity for business experts to interact directly with key leadership from the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration (CTFA), as well as senior tax officials from the United States and other OECD countries. 

The event is the eleventh in a series of sold-out annual gatherings convened by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), in cooperation with the OECD and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents private-sector views in the Paris-based body. Details on the event are available at www.uscibtax.org.

“As we move into the new territory of BEPS implementation, it is important how the BEPS reports are translated into national law.  Global companies should be following these changes as carefully as they followed the development of the BEPS reports,” said USCIB Vice President and International Tax Counsel Carol Doran Klein. “Our conference is more valuable than ever as a resource to learn about and discuss a wide range of international taxation issues, and the OECD is of course a critical resource in this area.” 

Keynote remarks at this year’s conference will be delivered by U.S. Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen. Other speakers will include:

  • Pascal Saint-Amans – Director of the Center for Tax Policy & Administration, OECD
  • Robert B. Stack – Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs, U.S. Treasury
  • Mike Williams – Director, Business and International Tax, HM Treasury, UK
  • Martin Kreienbaum, Director General, International Taxation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Germany
  • Grace Perez-Navarro – Deputy Director of the CTPA, OECD
  • Achim Pross – Head of International Cooperation and Tax Administration, OECD
  • Jacques Sasseville – Head of Tax Treaty Unit, OECD
  • Andrew Hickman – Head of Transfer Pricing Unit, OECD
  • Jesse Eggert – Senior Advisor, BEPS Project, OECD
  • Will Morris – Chairman, BIAC Committee on Taxation and Fiscal Affairs; Director, Global Tax Policy, GE International Inc. (United Kingdom) 

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 information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Contact an Expert

Published on May 5, 2016

Need a source for your story, or a speaker for your event? USCIB has a roster of knowledgeable experts ready to answer the call. Click on a name to view sample speaking topics and biographical information. Contact Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org) for more information.

Our Experts

Insightful Presentations on a Broad Range of Critical Policy Issues

Peter Robinson
President and CEO
International Regulatory Diplomacy | U.S. & Global Trade Policy 
International Organizations | Climate Change

Shaun DonnellyShaun Donnelly
VP, Investment and Financial Services
US & Global Trade Policy | Foreign Direct Investment | Anti-Corruption

Megan Giblin
Director, Customs and Trade Facilitation

Gabriella Rigg Herzog
VP, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs

Norine KennedyNorine Kennedy
VP, Strategic International Engagement, Energy and Environment
Global Environmental Policy | Energy Policy 
International Organizations | Climate Change

Barbara WannerBarbara Wanner
VP, ICT Policy
Internet Governance | Data Privacy
Big Data | Internet of Things

New Study Details the Impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China

Published on April 22, 2016

Solar-workers_3The Coalition for Green Trade, of which USCIB is a founding member, issued the following press release today about a new study onthe impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China:

New Study Details the Impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China

The Coalition for Green Trade today released the results of a new study detailing the effects that a World Trade Organization (WTO) Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) would have on the economy of China and the country’s ability to meet its environmental goals.

Overall, the study, “Value of an Environmental Goods Agreement: Helping China Meet Its Environmental Goals,” finds that full implementation of an EGA accord to eliminate tariffs on green technologies by China – the largest producer of these technologies participating in the EGA negotiations – would have a positive impact on the Chinese economy and environment.

The study was principally prepared by Dr. Joseph F. Francois and Laura M. Baughman of the Trade Partnership Worldwide, LLC.  They find that full implementation by China of an ambitious EGA:

  • Increases China’s GDP and national income by billions of dollars;
  • Increases exports by nearly $27 billion, up by 9.8 percent;
  • Increases real spending of roughly $22 billion annually on environmental goods; and
  • Results in gains of approximately $659 billion annually in economic benefits linked to improved environmental quality, based on the literature assessing cost-benefit ratios for investment in improved environmental conditions.

In July 2014, the United States and a group of other countries launched EGA negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in an effort to improve access to important green and energy efficient technologies, among other objectives. The United States and the 16 other WTO members participating in the EGA talks account for at least 86 percent of global environmental goods trade.

The Coalition for Green Trade is composed of a broad range of associations – including the U.S. China Business Council, which provided advice and outreach in support of this report – and companies doing business in the United States who seek to remove barriers to global trade in environmental technologies.

Global Business Body Highlights Crucial Importance of FDI for Growth and Development

Published on April 11, 2016

Money_globeNew York, N.Y., April 12, 2016 – In the face of growing populist rhetoric from some quarters calling into question the very nature of global trade, investment and private sector-led growth, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has issued a ringing defense of foreign investment as a driving force in improving people’s lives around the world.

In its statement, Foreign Direct Investment – Promoting and Protecting a Key Pillar for Sustainable Development and Growth, the Paris-based global business body – which encompasses companies from all sectors in some 130 countries, developing as well as developed – voices its strong support for FDI as an effective tool to foster economic growth and sustainable development. ICC calls on governments to both maintain and strengthen investment protection and promotion agreements, including the investment provisions now common in many U.S. free trade agreements.

The statement was released by ICC’s American national committee, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

“A key lesson from the past half century and more is that investment, including foreign direct investment, is crucial in influencing a country’s overall prospects for economic progress and prosperity,” said James Bacchus, the former chief judge for the World Trade Organization and former U.S. Congressman who chairs ICC’s Commission on Trade and Investment Policy, which developed the paper. “Countries that put in place strong, well-considered policies both to promote and protect investment, and ensure the rule of law, benefit more from FDI as well as from domestic investment. Those countries have more effective institutions and higher standards of living.”

The ICC statement encourages governments to pursue high-standard bilateral and regional investment agreements. These important agreements should continue to include strong dispute resolution provisions, through investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) with independent proceedings to settle investment disputes, the paper says. It further proposes that, in the longer term, an equally high-standard multilateral framework on investment could further foster FDI in support of growth and sustainable development.

Other key messages from the ICC policy statement include:

  • Discrimination is never a good idea. ICC calls on national governments to avoid any sectoral restrictions in investment agreements coverage or access to dispute settlement.
  • Governments around the world should give greater attention to investment challenges related to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) so as to ensure a level playing field when private companies (domestic or foreign) compete with SOEs.
  • National security or “essential security” reviews by governments should be narrowly focused on true national security issues and not become an excuse for discrimination against foreign investors.
  • All governments should avoid “forced localization” requirements against foreign investors.

“We need sensible policies to promote and defend FDI in order to meet the numerous challenges we face in the years ahead,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “This strong and timely policy statement, coming as it does from the leading global business organization, provides a useful contribution to the ongoing debates on investment, investment agreements and, more specifically, ISDS. We urge policy makers in the United States and other nations, as well as the policy community more broadly, to read and digest its recommendations.”

About ICC:
ICC is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. Its global network comprises over six million companies, chambers of commerce and business associations in more than 130 countries, with interests spanning every sector of private enterprise. A network of ICC national committees mobilizes and supports business in its interactions with governments and international organizations around the world. The United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20 and many other intergovernmental bodies, both international and regional, are kept in touch with the views of international business through ICC. More at www.iccwbo.org.

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 ICC, 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

The Future of Manufacturing: Spotlight on Investment

Published on March 29, 2016

ITA_manufacturingWhile economists debate whether the U.S. manufacturing industry has hit a recession or a temporary stall due to low energy prices, one thing appears clear – the future of U.S. manufacturing hinges on its ability to evolve and rethink operating models. In a recent study by Morgan Stanley, nearly 75 percent of U.S. plants are more than 20 years old. With such aging infrastructure, the question must be asked, how will the U.S. regain its place as the leader in manufacturing, and what will future manufacturing plants look like?

Bloomberg will convene federal and state policy makers, and leaders of the manufacturing industry to discuss the imperative facing the U.S. manufacturing industry to innovate and evolve their businesses, and to develop an understanding of the benefits and costs of such efforts.

The Future of Manufacturing: Spotlight on Investment

Tuesday, April 19 | Bloomberg, 1101 K Street NW, Suite 500 | Washington, D.C.

REGISTER NOW
INVITATION CODE: VIPGUEST

Speakers to include Marion C. Blakey, Chairman, President and CEO, Rolls-Royce North America Inc.; Shaun Donnelly, Vice President, Investment and Financial Services, United States Council for International Business; Marcus D. Jadotte, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry & Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce; Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director, SelectUSA, U.S. Department of Commerce; Jay Timmons, President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers; and more.

The day’s discussion will examine the most important priorities and opportunities facing American manufacturing. We’ll focus on:

  • how policymakers can drive industry success
  • fostering STEM education and workforce development
  • reinforcing sustainable practices
  • attracting foreign investment and cooperation

USCIB Applauds Plan to Transition Stewardship of Key Internet Functions, Urges U.S. Government Approval

Published on March 10, 2016

Digital GlobeNew York, N.Y., March 10, 2016 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) welcomed a comprehensive package of proposals developed by numerous Internet stakeholders including the private sector, which will enable global stewardship of the domain name system (DNS) and enhance accountability of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which manages the global domain name system.

The proposals, if approved, would permit the transfer of the stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a set of core functions necessary for the running of the Internet domain name system, from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to the multi-stakeholder Internet community, with safeguards to enable active involvement by the in processes designed to hold ICANN accountable as an independent entity.

“While some have argued that the Internet should be overseen by governments, the two-year process that culminated in this plan demonstrates that the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance works,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “This model is clearly the most appropriate means for considering issues that could affect the operation of the global Internet as we move forward.”

At an ICANN meeting wrapping up today in Marrakesh, Morocco, ICANN’s board approved the proposal and immediately transmitted it to NTIA.

“USCIB worked actively to help shape this ground-breaking initiative,” said Robinson. “We believe that the final product will meet NTIA’s criteria for the transition of the IANA stewardship role and ensure the continued stability, security and resiliency of the domain name system as well as fundamental openness of the Internet. We urge NTIA to approve the plan.”

The package combines the technical requirements for the IANA stewardship transition with important, interrelated enhancements to ICANN’s accountability to replace the “backstop” function provided by NTIA’s current contract with ICANN.

“USCIB believes this package will best ensure the continued security and stability of the domain name system and preclude its capture by a government or governmental entity, which is one of NTIA’s important criteria,” according to Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president for information, communications and technology (ICT) policy.

On ICANN accountability, USCIB said the proposal would empower the Internet community through use of a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder model. “There are details that still need refinement, such as the drafting of bylaws,” said Wanner. “We look forward to helping shape these as part of the continued open and consultative implementation process.”

According to Wanner, USCIB contributions to the processes of encouraging the IANA stewardship transition and enhancing ICANN’s accountability have reflected cross-sectoral and cross-community perspectives. She noted that, as an association composed of more than 300 multinational companies, law firms and business associations, the organization’s membership represents a broad cross-section of leading global companies in the ICT sector. Moreover, USCIB members come from both the “contracted house” of ICANN – those companies that serve as registries and registrars of Internet domain names – as well as the “non-contracted house,” which encompasses others in the private sector.

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 the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, 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
+1 917.420.0039, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s ICT Committee

U.S., China Offer New Environmental Goods Staging Proposals

Published on March 7, 2016

Bloomberg BNA

“For China, EGA is a part of their climate agenda and certainly something that can move forward for them,” said Eva Hampl, a director of investment, trade and financial services at the U.S. Council for International Business. “Whereas the December WTO ministerial was an action-forcing event, now the G-20 would appear to be the next opportunity to move something forward,” she told Bloomberg BNA in a telephone interview.

Read the full article Bloomberg BNA article. (Paywall)

USCIB Hails Passage of Customs Reauthorization Bill

Published on February 11, 2016

customs declaration

Washington, D.C., February 11, 2016 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) applauds Congressional passage of H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. This bipartisan bill is the first true Customs modernization legislation in nearly two decades.

The bill puts into law changes to the organization and management of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, streamlines and facilitates trade, focuses on the Automated Commercial Environment/International Trade Data System (ACE/ITDS) program, and provides an enforcement mechanism for trade agreements.

“This is a very welcome development that has been a long time in coming,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “We applaud Congressional leadership, the conferees, and the members of Congress and staff who worked hard to craft a bipartisan, bicameral compromise bill that meets business needs, updates outdated procedures, and reduces business costs and paperwork burdens.”

According to Robinson, the new law will promote U.S. competitiveness and job creation by reducing barriers to legitimate trade, while stepping up enforcement of U.S. trade agreements. “This will make it much easier for our companies, both large and small, to export and succeed in the global marketplace, which translates into economic growth and good jobs here at home,” he said.

USCIB’s recent legislative and advocacy efforts have focused on important issues impacting the bottom line of member companies and organizations, including:

  • addressing an oversight on the tariff treatment of cold-weather outerwear that not only would have increased costs, but also that would have opened the U.S. to WTO compliance concerns (current effective date of March 31, 2016);
  • increasing de minimis from $200 to $800 (U.S.), which will particularly benefit small and medium size enterprises by reducing costs, paperwork burdens and facilitating the movement of cargo; and
  • updating the outdated returns processes that subject companies to unnecessary double taxation on returned property and goods as well as for U.S. government property returned to the United States.

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 the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, 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

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

USCIB Hails Signing of TPP in New Zealand

Published on February 3, 2016

Harbor_tradeNew York, N.Y., February 3, 2016 – Welcoming a milestone on the road leading to the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), USCIB hailed the signing of the agreement by 12 countries in Auckland, New Zealand today (February 4 local time). TPP is a historic market-opening free trade agreement whose Pacific-Rim members represent 40 percent of global GDP.

“The signing is an important next step, since TPP will increase American export opportunities, support U.S. jobs, and advance security and rule of law across the Asia Pacific region,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “We applaud the U.S. government and our TPP partners for moving forward on an agreement that will create so many benefits for workers, families and businesses.”

Robinson noted that hard work still remains, with the ratification of the agreement by Congress and other national governments. USCIB is committed to working with the Obama administration, Congress and its members to ensure that TPP becomes law.

USCIB is a leading member of the U.S. Coalition for TPP, a broad-based group of American companies and associations representing all sectors of the U.S. economy. The Coalition issued a statement in support of TPP in January.

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 ICC, the International Organization of Employers, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee