Accented Stories Archives

US-China Trade: Hampl Speaks With BBC Radio

Published on January 8, 2019
USCIB’s Eva Hampl

As talks between the United States and China aimed at de-escalating their tariff war ended their first day, USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl spoke with BBC World News on what American business wants out of the negotiations.

Hampl said the business community wants to see progress on fundamental market-access concerns they face in China, and would be disappointed with more cosmetic takeaways from the talks. But she warned that the Trump administration’s strategy of applying tariff pressure across the entirety of U.S.-China trade could prove counter-productive.

“We see this as a very heavy-handed approach” said Hampl. “We would prefer a more targeted approach to address the underlying issues of IP and forced tech transfer.”

Click here to listen to the full report on the BBC website.

USCIB Outlines Priorities for Trade Agreement With Japan

Published on January 2, 2019
USCIB submitted comments to USTR outlining negotiating objectives for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement
Japan is currently the fourth largest goods trading partner of the U.S.

 

USCIB submitted comments in late 2018 to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) outlining negotiating objectives for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. USCIB supports negotiation of a comprehensive trade agreement with Japan as part of a broader strategy to open international markets for U.S. companies and remove barriers and unfair trade practices in support of U.S. jobs. USCIB outlined its priority issues, which include digital trade, intellectual property, media and entertainment services, investment, customs and trade facilitation, express delivery services, electronic payment services, regulatory coherence, government procurement and financial services.

Japan is currently the fourth largest goods trading partner of the U.S. and in 2017, Japan was the United States’ fourth largest export market as well. U.S. goods and services trade with Japan totaled an estimated $283.6 billion in 2017, with exports totaling $114 billion. The U.S. also has a surplus in services trade with Japan, totaling $13.4 billion.

“A successful trade agreement with Japan should cover not just market access for goods, but also address important services issues, as well as issues like digital trade and intellectual property,” said USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl. “We look forward to working with the Administration toward a favorable outcome for U.S. business in a U.S.-Japan FTA.”

USCIB welcomed the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) back in October 2015, noting at the time that a comprehensive, market-opening agreement would provide a significant boost to the United States.  The Administration has released negotiating objectives for a U.S.-Japan FTA, negotiations for which may begin as soon as late January.

UN Climate Talks Agree on Paris Pact Implementation

Published on December 18, 2018
Norine Kennedy (center, at laptop) speaks at a business dialogue in Katowice, Poland.
Talks went down to the wire to address who pays for losses due to climate change, and how to balance responsibilities of industrialized vs. developing countries.
USCIB has urged the Trump administration to remain at the table in the UN climate process.

This year’s UN Climate Conference (COP 24) concluded late on Saturday night in Katowice, Poland, having made major progress in several key areas for American business, including on implementation of the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Over 31,000 representatives of governments, UN bodies, NGOs, business and the media were on hand in the capital of Poland’s coal-dependent Silesia province for the 24th conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president of strategic international engagement, energy and environment, attended the entire two-week conference. She noted that, despite rough patches that delayed reaching a resolution, the resulting “Paris Rulebook” now offers clarity and predictability for companies planning long term investment and operations relating to energy.

“Crunch issues, which weren’t resolved until the last minutes of intense negotiations, included compensation for climate change-related loss and damage, how to reference scientific findings on potential impacts of a 1.5 degree (Celsius) change in global temperatures, and how to balance reporting requirements for developed and developing countries to ensure comparability and fairness.” Kennedy said.

On the Paris Rulebook, an implementation guide for the Paris Agreement, governments reached compromises to advance accounting and reporting of national climate pledges, as well as information on support provided to developing countries by developed countries. Kennedy said the price of the compromises reached seems to be a decision to defer an outcome on a section of the Paris Rulebook relating to voluntary carbon markets until next year’s conference of the parties, when governments will gather again in Chile.

“The UN Climate Agreement is a dynamic enterprise that has evolved to reflect new science and include new issues, such as just transition,” she said. “But a constant in the UN deliberations is the imperative for business innovation, engagement and action.” USCIB has advocated for enhanced involvement of representative business and employers’ organizations in the policy and implementation discussions.

The International Chamber of Commerce once again provided support for private-sector representation at the COP. USCIB members attending the two-week session took part in the ICC Business Day, the Major Economies Business Forum Business Dialogue and in presentations of the Global Action Agenda showcasing voluntary initiatives by business and other non-governmental interests.

On December 9, USCIB presented its report, “Business Engagement in Implementing National Climate Pledges and the Paris Agreement.” This report gathers business and government experiences in framing and acting on national pledges, and identifies best practices as national governments strengthen their national climate programs, working with business and other societal partners.

“USCIB has encouraged the Trump administration to advance U.S. business interests in the UN climate talks, including the Paris Agreement,” Kennedy noted. “We support having the U.S. remain at the table to defend American economic interests that may arise there.”

The UN process will now move ahead towards a UN Climate Summit to be convened by UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierres in September 2019 in New York, then on to Chile next December.

Digital Partnerships Crucial to Achieve Sustainable Health

Published on December 14, 2018
The Forum explored the role digital technologies and strategic partnerships play towards the success and well-being of economies and societies.
The Forum featured business contributions on the potential of data for better health, planning for new technologies, and connecting people and patients with healthier choices and lifestyles through digital opportunities.

 

Business at OECD (BIAC) convened senior representatives from business, the OECD, and governments on December 14 in Paris at its 3rd Annual Forum on Health. The Forum explored the role digital technologies and strategic partnerships play towards the success and well-being of economies and societies. The Forum also featured business contributions on the potential of data for better health, planning for new technologies, and connecting people and patients with healthier choices and lifestyles through digital opportunities.

“Improving health in the 21st century can only take place with patient and consumer engagement by optimizing prevention and disease management approaches” said Nicole Denjoy, chair of the Business at OECD Health Committee. “Digital and health technologies are critical to achieve this goal, but we still need policies that support this transformation.”

Experts also examined how partnerships can help achieve balanced dietary choices and active lifestyles. “Well-structured Public-Private initiatives show how even challenging issues can be tackled through joint actions when implementation is effective, positive changes bring mutual benefits and the targeted groups are supported with measures appropriate to their needs,” said Russel Mills, Business at OECD Secretary General.

“This exemplifies the extent to which digital transformation has affected all aspects of our lives,” said USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner. “Digital transformation creates some challenges, to be sure, but also offers promising health-related benefits that have the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life, provided there are appropriate enabling conditions for business investment in continued innovation.”

Commenting on the role of international cooperation, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria stated, “Greater co-operation between the private and public sectors on health issues will be critical to unlock the full power of digital innovation in this area. Partnerships, including at the international level, are essential to connect the brightest minds and to promote research on complex health issues, especially where upfront R&D expenditures are vast and payoffs uncertain.”

Unilever’s Polman Exhorts Industry to Redouble Action on Sustainability

Published on December 13, 2018
Unilever CEO Paul Polman
Companies need to spur new partnerships to get to the “tipping point” on sustainability, said the 2018 recipient of USCIB’s International Leadership Award.
Hundreds of attendees gathered at the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations for the annual USCIB award gala.

Business leaders must increase their commitment to sustainability, partnering with governments, international organizations and NGOs, if humanity is to avoid serious crises resulting from environment degradation and persistent poverty, according to Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and the 2018 recipient of USCIB’s International Leadership Award. Polman was honored at a gala dinner last night at the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations in New York.

“We need to create broader partnerships to get to the tipping point” of tackling climate change and other global challenges, according to Polman. “It doesn’t take much to move the global agenda. It just takes a few people. It takes the right leaders, leaders with a high awareness of what is going on, but also a high ability to engage. Leaders with a certain sense of humanity and humility, purpose-driven, longer-term, willing to work in partnerships. Not necessarily the skills that we’ve all been taught.”

L-R: USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw, ICC Secretary General John Denton, Unilever CEO Paul Polman, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, USCIB President & CEO Peter Robinson

USCIB’s annual award dinner attracted hundreds of top business executives, policy makers and members of the diplomatic community to the UN headquarters on a crisp, starry night, with speakers extolling the importance of a strong business role in confronting global challenges. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed applauded the private sector’s participation in realizing the ambitious 2030 Development Agenda, and she, like Polman, encouraged companies to do more.

As global leaders confront new, populist challenges on trade, USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw, CEO emeritus of S&P Global, said that governments and international organizations also must do more to ensure the 2030 goals are met. “Without expanded cross-border trade, smart regulation and support for innovation, there is not a chance in the world that we can hit the mark of the UN’s 2030 Agenda,” he stated.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson took the opportunity of the 2018 award gala to note the 70th anniversary of the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which he called “a fundamental recognition of our shared humanity and the equality of every person in the eyes of God and in the eyes of their fellow men and women.” He told gala attendees that “USCIB members stand united in support of human rights, and we pledge to do all we can in the ongoing struggle to defend human dignity.”

Robinson also introduced a new USCIB video highlighting the organization’s policy expertise, close working relationship with decision makers and links to key international business organizations. (See video link below.)

But the evening belonged to Polman, who recently announced plans to retire from the helm of Unilever following a long career with the company. “There’s no reason for 840 million people to go to bed hungry every night, not even knowing if they [will] wake up the next day. There’s no reason for us to waste 30 to 40 percent of the food that we produce. There’s no reason to value a dead tree more than a tree that’s alive, taking the lungs out of the world.”

John Denton, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, which Polman chairs, praised the Unilever CEO’s generosity, grace and openness as a person.

The Unilever chief used his experience transforming his company’s social and environmental footprint as an indication of what could be done if corporate leaders put their minds to it. “Unilever’s model is indeed decoupling our growth from environmental impact, but also to maximize our overall social impact. At a time when trust is low, we think the only way to regain that is with transparency. Transparency builds trust, which is the basis for prosperity.”

He continued: “By having that simple focus, you will soon discover that you’re better off as well, We are getting two million people [applying for jobs at Unilever] every year, in fact the third-most on LinkedIn, after Google and Apple.”

Established in 1980, USCIB’s International Leadership Award is presented annually to a leading CEO, international figure or institution, recognizing outstanding contributions to global trade, finance and investment, and to improving the global competitive framework in which American business operates. Recent recipients have included Ajay Banga of Mastercard and Randall Stephenson of AT&T. More on the annual event is available at www.uscibgala.com and photos from the event are here.

USCIB International Business Magazine: Winter 2018 Issue

Published on December 13, 2018

The Winter 2018 issue of USCIB’s quarterly International Business magazine is available here. The issue features a timely column by USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson titled, “Upholding Human Rights Requires Strong Partnerships.” The issue also features news stories on USCIB’s leadership in promoting food security and nutrition partnerships, the U.S.-China trade conflict, and USCIB’s artificial intelligence priorities, plus news from our global network–Business at OECD, the International Organization of Employers and the International Chamber of Commerce.

“International Business,” USCIB’s quarterly journal, provides essential insight into major trade and investment topics, a high-level overview of USCIB policy advocacy and services, USCIB member news and updates from our global business network.

Subscribe to USCIB’s International Business Magazine

Subscriptions to “International Business” are available free upon request to representatives of USCIB member organizations. Contact us to subscribe.

Non-members may subscribe to “International Business” and other USCIB print publications at an annual rate of $50 (U.S.) for domestic delivery, or $75 for overseas delivery. Contact us to subscribe. USCIB’s annual report, studies from the United States Council Foundation and related publications are included with your paid subscription.

Our free electronic newsletter, “International Business Weekly,” provides regular updates on USCIB’s major activities and priorities. Click here to view a sample issue. Click here to subscribe.

We welcome outside submissions and inquiries regarding our publications – send them to news@uscib.org.

We welcome advertising in International Business magazine — special discounted rates for USCIB member organizations! Contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org) for more information.

USCIB in the News: Taxes, Trade and Tariffs

Published on December 13, 2018

USCIB’s voice and views were reflected in many of the top stories of the past several months, which saw a heavy focus on taxes, trade and tariffs. USCIB and its global network were featured prominently in numerous stories covering NAFTA modernization, China tariffs and the OECD’s work on global tax policy.

In October, USCIB CEO and President Peter Robinson contributed a letter to the Financial Times in response to an editorial urging action on the digital divide. In his letter, Robinson noted that “public-private partnerships are indeed needed to broaden access to the internet, and companies are already moving ahead in this regard, in addition to taking action on their own.”

In discussing G20 trade tensions, USCIB Senior Vice President Rob Mulligan sat down with BBC World News to do a live television interview. Mulligan said that Trump is right to address the balance of trade between the U.S. and China, but that tariffs aren’t the answer and will ultimately cause higher prices and job losses.

To read more of USCIB activity in the media, please visit this link.

USCIB Submits Negotiation Objectives for US-EU Trade Deal

Published on December 11, 2018
USCIB submitted negotiation objectives for a U.S.-EU Trade Agreement to USTR.
The EU countries together make up the number one export market for the U.S., with goods exports to the EU in 2016 totaling $269.6 billion, constituting 18.6% of total U.S. goods exports.

 

USCIB submitted negotiation objectives for a U.S.-EU Trade Agreement to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on December 11. The submission was filed in response to USTR’s request for comments and emphasized the importance of a comprehensive negotiation, covering not only market access for goods, but also critical services issues.

The USTR request for comments follows the Trump administration’s announcement to Congress on October 16 of its intention to initiate negotiations on a U.S.-EU Trade Agreement. USCIB supports negotiation of a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU as part of a broader strategy to open international markets for U.S. companies and remove barriers and unfair trade practices in support of U.S. jobs. USCIB priority issues for negotiation of a U.S.-EU agreement include investment, customs and trade facilitation, express delivery services, improved regulatory cohesion, digital trade, intellectual property, government procurement and SOEs, and financial services.

“The EU is an important trade partner for the United States,” said USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl. “USCIB members see the value of common approaches toward establishing a more integrated and barrier-free transatlantic marketplace. Regulatory discrimination and differentiation across the Atlantic is an increasingly frustrating obstacle to trade, investment and the ability to conduct business.”

USCIB supported the negotiations of a comprehensive, high-standard U.S.-EU trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which commenced in 2013 and aspired to eliminate tariff and no-tariff barriers on goods and services trade between the U.S. and the EU. These negotiations were halted by the current administration, but the range of issues that were on the table at the time, ranging from strong investment protections, to increased trade facilitation, and regulatory coherence, continue to be of great importance to our members.

The EU countries together make up the number one export market for the United States, with goods exports to the EU in 2016 totaling $269.6 billion, constituting 18.6% of total U.S. goods exports. U.S. goods and services trade with the EU totaled nearly $1.1 trillion in 2016, with exports totaling $501 billion. The United States also has a surplus in services trade with the EU, totaling $55 billion in 2016. According to Hampl, a successful trade agreement with the EU should cover not just market access for goods, but also address important services issues.

USCIB Contributes Comments to UN on Digital Cooperation

Published on December 11, 2018
USCIB filed comments to the office of the United Nations Secretary General to identify good examples and propose modalities for working cooperatively across sectors, disciplines and borders to address challenges in the digital age.
USCIB’s comments noted that stakeholder inclusion can lower the risk of unintended consequences and increase legitimacy and adoption of policies.

 

USCIB filed comments to the office of the United Nations Secretary General on November 28 in his request for public comments “to identify good examples and propose modalities for working cooperatively across sectors, disciplines and borders to address challenges in the digital age.” The comments will be presented to the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, which was established by the UN Secretary General in July 2018. The Panel will seek to conduct a broad engagement and consultation process, resulting in a final report with actionable recommendations in 2019.

To inform the HLPDC deliberations, the Secretariat launched a wide-ranging consultation process to gather the views of governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, the technical and academic communities and other relevant stakeholders.

“USCIB believes that the multistakeholder model for Internet governance continues to be the best method to enable the whole-of-society/whole-of-government consideration of digital economy issues,” said Barbara Wanner, who leads USCIB work on ICT policy. “Given the rapid pace of technological change, governments need the perspectives provided by business, technical community, and civil society to better understand what policies are commercially viable, technically feasible, and offer adequate personal privacy protections. The inputs of all stakeholders produce a flexible policy environment critical to empowering the rapidly evolving digital economy.”

USCIB’s comments also noted that stakeholder inclusion can lower the risk of unintended consequences and increase legitimacy and adoption of policies. Top-down government-imposed policies and regulations often cannot keep pace with technological breakthroughs and can serve as a drag on development and innovation, and potentially infringe upon human rights.

 

USCIB Champions Business Partnership in Migration Policy

Published on December 11, 2018
Well-managed, migration is a vehicle for fulfilling personal aspirations, for balancing labor supply and demand, for sparking innovation, and for transferring and spreading skills.
Unduly closing borders to migrants is detrimental to business needs at all skills levels. Thus, the overarching goal of the private sector is a regulatory environment in which labor migration policies support business development to create job opportunities and economic prosperity.

 

The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and UN Global Compact on Migration (GCM) Summit were held back-to-back in Marrakech, Morocco December 5-11. USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg represented USCIB and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) as part of the Business Mechanism to the GFMD at both meetings.

The GFMD Business Mechanism was the primary vehicle through which the private sector contributed expertise and advised governments on aspects of labor migration policy pertaining to select provisions of the GCM, specifically those dealing with flexible pathways for regular migration, responsible recruitment and skills mobility and development.

IOE President Erol Kiresepi was also active during the Summit, presenting Business Mechanism views and commitments during the Opening Session of the Summit.

Goldberg participated in two side events: one as panelist on the Implementation of the GCM and another as moderator at a USCIB co-sponsored event Partnering with the Private Sector: The GCM and Business.

The Partnering with the Private Sector side-event took place on December 8, co-organized by IOE and PMI, and highlighted the crucial role the private sector plays in ensuring safe and orderly migration. As such, side-event participants advocated for a transparent legal framework to support business environments conducive to economic growth and development.

“Clear and well-implemented migration policies are an integral part of a regulatory framework conducive to economic growth and development,” said Goldberg. “Well-managed, migration is a vehicle for fulfilling personal aspirations, for balancing labor supply and demand, for sparking innovation, and for transferring and spreading skills. It also can provide  protection against unethical recruitment that could result in human trafficking and forced labor,” she added.  “Unduly closing borders to migrants is detrimental to business needs at all skills levels. Thus, the overarching goal of the private sector is a regulatory environment in which labor migration policies support business development to create job opportunities and economic prosperity.”