News Stories Archives

USCIB Tweeters Take Flight

Published on August 20, 2013

4576_image001A growing number of USCIB policy experts are posting regularly on the popular social media network Twitter, sharing their insights on important issues and underscoring USCIB’s key role in global business policy. These talented individuals are complemented by a number of special USCIB projects. Follow them today!

Recent USCIB members of the “twitterati” include:

  • Justine Badimon, director of regional initiatives (@USCIB_badimon)
  • Nasim Deylami, director of customs and trade facilitation (@USCIB_deylami)
  • Adam Greene, vice president of corporate responsibility, labor and corporate governance (@uscib_greene)
  • Norine Kennedy, vice president of strategic international engagement, environment and energy (@USCIBKennedy)
  • Helen Medina, senior director of life sciences (@USCIB_medina)
  • Barbara Wanner, vice president of ICT policy (@BarbaraPWanner)
  • Green Economies Dialogue, which promotes a productive approach to greener growth (@greendialogue)
  • Global Supply Networks, news related to USCIB’s benchmark report, American Companies and Global Supply Networks: Driving U.S. Economic Growth and Jobs by Connecting With the World (@GlobalSupplyN).

USCIB maintains a corporate Twitter feed at @USCIB. Other longstanding feeds include @USCIBTradeSvcs (our Trade Services Department), @UnlockCustoms (USCIB’s ATA Carnet service), @USCIBTradeBooks (USCIB International Bookstore) and @huneke (Jonathan Huneke, vice president for communications and public affairs).

Each of the components of USCIB’s global network – ICC, IOE and BIAC – are also active on Twitter and other social media.

Staff contact: Jonathan Huneke

USCIB on Social Media

 

Global Economic Outlook Dims While US Recovery Continues

Published on August 14, 2013

4575_image002The world economy has weakened slightly this quarter, mainly due to declining optimism in Asia and Latin America, while North America shows signs of continuing recovery, according to a World Economic Survey published today by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Munich-based economic research institute Ifo.

Carried out in partnership with ICC, the latest Ifo World Economic Survey of more than 1,000 economists in 123 countries shows some decline in both the current global economic situation and the six-month economic outlook. The poll’s climate indicator dropped to 94.1 for the third quarter of 2013, back down to early 2013 levels, despite a rise to 96.8 in the second quarter.

 “We’re encouraged by the climate of economic recovery in the U.S., and some stabilization in Europe,” said ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier. “However, with many economies still struggling, governments need to do more to restore investor confidence. ICC urges G20 leaders to take strong measures to address this uncertainty at the upcoming G20 Summit in Saint Petersburg and send a signal to markets encouraging investment. Greater trade flows and investment could provide a debt-free and much needed boost to job creation.”

ICC has also been urging members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to reach a final agreement on trade facilitation, which could result in GDP increases of approximately US $960 billion and create over 18 million jobs worldwide, according to a study by the Peterson Institute.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff contact: Jonathan Huneke

ICC Chairman Engages Australians on G20 Priorities

Published on August 6, 2013

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Chairman Harold (Terry) McGraw III, who is also chairman of USCIB, held a series of roundtable meetings with Australian business leaders and government officials to begin ICC’s planning process for the G20 Summit to be hosted in Brisbane in November 2014.

At the center of the week-long activities were policy discussions hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Sydney Chamber of Commerce. During both meetings McGraw and leading Australian business representatives explored key policy issues of most importance for the Australian G20 presidency. Topics included the need for the G20 to moderate financial regulation, bring better balance to public finance, increase private investment in infrastructure, address the global challenge of youth unemployment and implement tangible solutions to the Doha trade negotiations.

McGraw also met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who stressed the importance of the G20’s attention to trade and investment and confirmed his belief that business has a critical role in the process for generating the commerce behind economic growth and jobs. McGraw emphasized that Australia’s leadership will be essential for the G20 to maintain momentum in the global economic recovery.

For this year’s Russian cycle of the G20, ICC has been deeply engaged in the policy development process, and the G20 Advisory Group of CEOs were leading participants in the B20 Summit held in Saint Petersburg last month. McGraw is serving as co-chair of the B20 task force on trade and will join a group of CEOs presenting business recommendations to G20 heads of state during the G20 Summit being held September 5-6, also near Saint Petersburg.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website

Staff contact: Jonathan Huneke

 

McGraw Talks Trade on Australian TV

4568_image002ICC Chairman Harold McGraw III appeared on the morning edition of the Australian News Network’s program Business Today, on August 2.

McGraw was interviewed on the subject of trade liberalization ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit, being held on September 5-6 in Strelna, Russia, and in preparation for business participation in the 2014 G20 Summit being organized in Brisbane, Australia.

“ICC has been instrumental in the business policy development process since the Seoul G20 Summit and we are keen to continue to play a key role as Australia takes over the G20 presidency in 2014,” said McGraw, who is also chairman, president and chief executive officer of McGraw Hill Financial. “We are here in Australia to encourage the G20 to lead the way in lowering trade barriers and unlocking jobs and growth.”

Click here to view McGraw’s interview. Click here to read an op-ed piece featured in The Australian by McGraw and Peter Anderson, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on the topic.

This entry was posted in International Chamber of Commerce.

Comparative Matrix Expert Group Reports Proposals for Sustainable Development Goals

Published on July 24, 2013

USCIB has updated its comparative matrix of the proposed goals and targets in the reports by the Post-2015 High-level Panel, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the UN Global Compact to include Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s report, which will serve as the basis for post-2015 discussions. The first three reports reviewed in this matrix were alldelivered to the Secretary General and served as input to his report, A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015,  to the September 2013 General Assembly Special Event on the MDGs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

While USCIB sees useful elements in some of the proposals, it does not endorse any of the suggested goals and is developing business recommendations to the UN for consideration as the SDGs are elaborated.

Common thematic elements in the reports include:

  • a continued focus and effort on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (i.e. the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, education, and empowering women)
  • a focus on governance and enabling frameworks (i.e. transparency, accountability, access to information and participation)
  • goals specifically referencing common environmental issues (i.e. water, natural resources, biodiversity and sanitation)
  • a major focus on curbing climate change and ensuring sustainable energy
  • an emphasis on economic growth through modernizing infrastructure and technology

Click here to download the updated comparative matrix.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene

New UN High Level Political Forum to Focus on Sustainable Development through Head of State Meetings

Published on July 24, 2013

What is the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF)?

The 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) agreed to establish the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), a new UN body to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development. In June 2013, Member States concluded several months of political negotiations to define the “Format and Organizational Aspects of the high-level political forum.”  This new body is expected to play a central role in framing the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The new high-level political forum, consistent with its intergovernmental universal character, will:

  • Provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development;
  • Follow up on implementation of all UN activities related to sustainable development, including the SDGs;
  • Enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental);
  • Have a focused, dynamic and action-oriented agenda, ensuring the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges

When will the HLPF meet?

The date for its first meeting is September 24, 2013 during the opening of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly.  The first meeting will be an inaugural event and substantive sessions will be scheduled later in the year.  The HLPF will conveneannually at the ministerial level under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and it will, every four years, bring together heads of State and Government, under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, to provide political momentum for sustainable development.

How to participate and the role of business:

USCIB, working with the ICC and other business groups, has represented U.S. business in UN sustainability meetings since 1992. The creation of the HLPF offers USCIB an opportunity to provide U.S. business views on economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and to offer practical private sector experiences relating to the enabling conditions needed for investment, innovation and job creation.

The HLPF will be open to all “Major Groups” and “other stakeholders,” e.g. education and academic entities, volunteer groups, etc., who will be able to:

  • Attend all official meetings of the forum;
  • Have access to all official information and documents;
  • Intervene in official meetings, submit documents and present written and oral contributions, to make recommendations, and to organize side-events and roundtables

Business and industry organizations have submitted recommendations for a dedicated and recognized business channel to the HLPF.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene

Business Weighs in on Job Creation at G20 Labor Ministerial

Published on July 23, 2013

On July 18, representatives of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) met with G20 labor ministers in Moscow, emphasizing the need for open and competitive markets to stimulate growth and job creation through policies that enable private enterprise.

In a joint statement, BIAC and IOE focused on the importance of a qualified and mobile workforce, good governance, and reliable policies for companies to invest and generate employment.

USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg, who is an IOE regional vice president and chairs BIAC’s labor and employment committee, joined the business delegation, which was led by B20 Chair Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The business statement urged governments to commit to policies conducive to private sector-led growth and job creation, improve policy consistency between governments and increase business confidence to invest. It also said that properly implementing comprehensive and ambitious national structural reforms would promote job creation and economic development. The business groups also voiced support for implementing non-distortive taxation at levels that encourage enterprise and investment, reducing high non-wage labor costs and investing in human capital to enable labor market flexibility, and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, especially youth entrepreneurship.

Looking at specific measures to spur employment, especially youth employment, BIAC and IOE stressed the importance of enhancing employability through quality education, training, workplace learning and incentives for all to work. Business also supports the IOE/BIAC Global Apprenticeships Alliance, a global company network aimed at broadening the scope and number of apprenticeships in order to address youth employability, as well as joint initiatives with labor to cultivate youth employment.

Opening the gathering, Maxim Topilin, Russia’s minister of labor and social protection, expressed appreciation for the participation of the social partners in the G20. “These consultations are very useful and allow us to see a different perspective on the issues that we address,” he said. “The social partners’ ideas and recommendations based on their expertise facilitate the G20 decision-making process with respect to such key issues as employment, labor relations development and social protection.”

More on USCIB’s Labor & Employment Committee

US and China Agree to Action on Climate Change

Published on July 22, 2013

smogAt this month’s U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in Washington, D.C., the two countries agreed to undertake a number of steps to address climate change. This followed an announcement that the two nations will begin formal talks on a high-standard bilateral investment treaty (click here for our earlier report).

In May, the USCIB China Environment Task Force met with the EPA’s Steve Wolfson to discuss coordination and capacity-building between China and the U.S. on climate change, including Secretary of State Kerry’s newly created U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group.

On July 10, the working group presented its report on bilateral cooperation between the two countries. This non-binding climate plan lays out five new action initiatives with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by tackling the largest sources of emissions in both countries, focusing on: vehicle emissions; smart grids; carbon capture, utilization and storage; greenhouse gas data collection and management; and building and industry energy efficiency.

In a fact sheet, the U.S. Department of State released the following details of specific projects and commitments.

  1. Reducing emissions from heavy-duty and other vehicles: Heavy-duty vehicles are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in the U.S. and account for more than half of transportation fuel consumed in China. Light-duty vehicles also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, fuel use and air pollution. Efforts under this initiative will include advancing comprehensive policies to reduce CO2 and black carbon emissions.
  2. Increasing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS):
    The U.S. and China account for more than 40 percent of global coal consumption. Emissions from coal combustion in the electric power and industrial sectors can be significantly reduced through CCUS. China and the U.S. will cooperate to overcome barriers by implementing several large-scale, integrated CCUS projects in both countries, which will engage companies in both countries and allow for enhanced trade and commerce.
  3. Increasing energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport:
    The U.S. and China recognize that there is significant scope for reducing emissions and costs through comprehensive efforts to improve energy efficiency. Both sides commit to intensify their efforts, initially focusing on promoting the energy efficiency of buildings, which account for over 30 percent of energy use in both countries.
  4. Improving greenhouse gas data collection and management:
    Both countries place a high priority on comprehensive, accurate reporting of economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions data to track progress in reducing emissions and to develop and implement mitigation policies. The U.S. will work with China to build capacity for collection and management of greenhouse gas emissions data.
  5. Promoting smart grids: The power sector accounts for over one third of U.S. and Chinese carbon emissions. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector and put in place a resilient, low-carbon power grid, both countries will collaborate on developing modern, “smart” grid systems, deploying renewable and clean energy, and improving demand management.

In their joint report, the two parties made clear that this just the beginning of a new phase in U.S.-China cooperation on climate change issues, where the Climate Change Working Group is designed to serve as the new leader in this critical bilateral relationship. Working closely with private sector and non-governmental stakeholders, the working group will develop implementation plans for the following initiatives by October 2013, with the goal of continuing to find new ways to expand cooperation on climate and clean energy issues.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Justine Badimon

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

More on USCIB’s China Committee

SMEs Face Significant Financing Gap

Published on July 22, 2013

Speaking at the World Trade Organization’s annual “aid-for-trade” review earlier this month, a representative of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) made a plea for added financing for cross-border trade.

ICC Senior Policy Manager Thierry Senechal said that trade finance intermediation is crucial today as it provides real-time risk mitigation, while improving liquidity and cash flow of the trading parties. It also gives localized small- and medium-sized enterprises much-needed access to credit and working capital to finance exports and imports.

Between 80 and 90 percent of global trade depends on some sort of trade finance, yet structural access issues, related to factors such as poorly-developed banking sectors or perceived country credit risk, continue to act as bottlenecks.

In remarks at the event, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said: “Overcoming existing skills gaps in developing countries can help them draw enhanced benefits from their participation in the multilateral trading system. These discussions have brought some key areas into focus, including access to finance — and trade finance in particular.”

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff contact: Eva Hampl

More on USCIB’s Banking Committee

ICC names Donald Smith New Banking Commission Technical Advisor

ICC announced earlier this month the appointment of three new technical advisors for its Commission on Banking – a leading global policy and rule-making body for the banking industry known worldwide for its trade finance products and services including Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, the most successful privately drafted rules for trade ever developed.

These  include Donald Smith, president of Global Trade Advisory Ltd.

Smith has over 40 years’ experience in international banking operations and trade product management. He has been responsible for international operations for 4 banks. He served as senior project manager for the ICC’s 2011 Basel III Default Registry project which documented the level of risk in trade transactions; chaired the US Delegation to the ICC Banking Commission from 1998 to 2009 and co-chaired the drafting group which produced the ICC’s first International Standard Banking Practices (ISBP) publication. He presently serves on several ICC Task Forces. Read more on ICC’s website.

USCIBs Greene to Chair New Human Rights Working Group

Published on July 19, 2013

In June, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) announced the creation of several policy working groups to reinforce member ownership of the policies adopted by the organization and to create useful and timely output drawing on the wider expertise of the IOE’s worldwide employer network.

Among these is a new CSR and Business and Human Rights Policy Working Group, which will be chaired by Adam Greene, USCIB’s vice president for labor and corporate responsibility. Greene’s appointment underscores the active leadership role he and a broad array of USCIB members are playing in this area.

The working group will meet in Geneva on September 26 and December 2. Please contact us if you would like more information.

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

IMB Piracy Report Highlights Violence in West Africa

Published on July 15, 2013

4556_image001Somali piracy has fallen to its lowest levels since 2006, focusing attention on violent piracy and armed robbery off the coast of West Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau (IMB)’s global piracy report revealed today.

Worldwide, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 138 piracy incidents in the first six months of 2013, compared with 177 incidents for the corresponding period in 2012. Seven hijackings have been recorded this year compared with 20 in the first half of 2012. The number of sailors taken hostage also fell dramatically; down to 127 this year from 334 in the first six months of 2012.

In the Gulf of Guinea, in addition to a rise in piracy and armed robbery – 31 incidents so far this year, including four hijackings – IMB reports a surge in kidnappings at sea and a wider range of ship types being targeted. This is a new cause for concern in a region already known for attacks against vessels in the oil industry and theft of gas oil from tankers.

“There has been a worrying trend in the kidnapping of crew from vessels well outside the territorial limits of coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea,” said Pottengal Mukundan, director of IMB, which has monitored world piracy since 1991. “There continues to be significant under-reporting of attacks – a phenomenon highlighted by the IMB year on year. This prevents meaningful response by the authorities and endangers other vessels sailing into the area unaware of the precise nature of the threat.”

Mr. Mukundan applauded the signing of the Code of Conduct Concerning the Repression of Piracy, Armed Robbery Against Ships, and Illicit Maritime Activity in West and Central Africa in June 2013 by the heads of the West and Central African countries.

Latest attacks may be viewed on the IMB Live Piracy Map.

Click here to read more in ICC’s website.

Staff contact: Nasim Deylami

More on USCIB’s Transportation Committee