Communication Department Archives

USCIB Hosts Dialogue on Business Role in Sustainable Recovery and Paris Climate Pledges

Published on April 21, 2021
Jesse Young (USG) and Norine Kennedy (USCIB)

Ahead of the White House Leaders’ Climate Summit, the Major Economies Forum and the Biden Administration’s unveiling of its Paris Agreement pledge and implementation plan, also known as the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF) hosted a virtual Business Dialogue on April 21 on “Synergies with Sustainable Recovery: The Role of Business in Strengthening NDCs,” moderated by USCIB Senior Vice President Norine Kennedy.

Opening the meeting was USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, who reflected on the crucial nature of inclusive multilateralism and the thought-leadership contributions USCIB has made in international climate change policy over the past two decades.

Peter Robinson makes remarks at BizMEF event

“An inclusive U.S. NDC will also be an ambitious and resilient one,” said Robinson. “During U.S. Climate Week, we can inspire and learn from one another. COP after COP since 1993, USCIB has worked supportively with U.S. administrations to make real progress for private sector innovation, investment and action in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). We’ll also be working with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and Business at OECD (BIAC) to encourage governments around the world to strengthen their NDCs.”

During the meeting, government, and industry speakers from Japan, Denmark, Kenya and India discussed linking recovery and climate action through inclusive, ambitious NDCs, engaging business at national and global levels.

Jesse Young, senior advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate John Kerry, concluded the meeting with what can be expected during the White House Leaders’ Climate Summit; in addition to a new U.S. NDC, the Administration will release the first-ever international climate finance plan which will include a blueprint for how all U.S. government agencies will be enhancing action on climate change, as well as clear targets on climate finance, keeping in mind the role of business. He also commended BizMEF for continuing to advance constructive recommendations on international climate policy, when Major Economies Forum meetings were discontinued.

About: This virtual Business Dialogue built on BizMEF Dialogues at COPs in Doha, Warsaw, Lima, Bonn, Katowice and Madrid in 2019, followed by a first Virtual Business Dialogue in December last year. The Major Economies Business Forum on Energy Security and Climate Change (BizMEF) is a partnership of major multi-sectoral business organizations from major economies in developed and developing countries, and includes BusinessEurope, CII, CEOE, Business Unity South Africa, CGEM, MEDEF, BDI, Keidanren, and CNI. Since its launch in 2009,  BizMEF has provided responsible business views and practical input to the international climate change discussions at UNFCCC and OECD. USCIB is a founding partner of BizMEF, and helps support the alliance’s activities.

USCIB Welcomes New Director for Investment, Trade and China

Published on April 21, 2021
Alice Slayton Clark

USCIB welcomed Alice Slayton Clark this week as Director for Investment, Trade and China policy. Clark brings with her considerable experience in trade policy, having worked in a number of international law firms and consulting practices, as well as on Capitol Hill.

Most recently, Clark has been a Senior Government Relations Advisor for Jacobs Global Trade & Compliance LLC. Prior to this she spent time as an independent International Trade Consultant, and as an International Trade Specialist at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy, Graham & James, and Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander and Ferdon. She began her trade career in the offices of Representative Robert Torricelli and Senator Bob Graham.

Alice received a BA in Government and Spanish from Oberlin College, and an MA in International Relations From Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. In the past she has served as the President of the Women in International Trade (WIIT) group, and as a leader in local and school organizations.

Alice can be reached at asclark@uscib.org.

USCIB Defends Foreign Direct Investment at OECD

Published on April 14, 2021

USCIB has led private sector participation at a series of recent events organized by the OECD’s Investment Committee.  Kimberley Claman, director of international government affairs in Citi’s Washington office, was a lead speaker for the Business at OECD (BIAC) delegation in a condensed, virtual OECD annual International Investment Agreements Conference on March 29.

During a portion of the conference, titled “The Future of International Investment Agreements” on March 29, Claman laid out a coherent business vision on the importance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows, especially in a post-pandemic world, and of strong investment agreements to help provide the certainty, assurance and enforceability required by investors. “Typical of these OECD sessions, other speakers were skeptical of FDI and, especially of investment treaties, so having a strong business voice is critical,” said USCIB Senior Advisor Shaun Donnelly. “Kimberley did a great job.”

Donnelly returned to the OECD investment policy debates on March 31 as a lead speaker for BIAC in an early-morning, virtual seminar at the fifth session of the OECD’s long-running “FDI Qualities” policy dialogue. OECD staff laid out its latest research and analysis on FDI’s impact to an audience that included a diverse group of academics, NGOs and business representatives. The presentation focused on four areas selected from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)– gender inclusivity, quality jobs and productivity enhancement, low carbon intensity, and promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).  Donnelly was the lead business commentator on the jobs and productivity session and spoke in the gender discussion, bringing a real-world, business perspective to the oftentimes academic nature of OECD seminars.

Donnelly was also back on the agenda as part of the BIAC Investment Committee leadership in the formal “stakeholder dialogue” with government representatives on the OECD Investment Committee at their April 8 wrap-up session following a week of OECD meetings.  This “stakeholder” session gave BIAC an opportunity to underline directly to the OECD committee its business perspectives and priorities on investment policy in a post-pandemic period.

“We see these OECD sessions on FDI policies, especially policies related to international investment agreements as important opportunities to present a business perspective on why FDI is so important to global economic growth, integration, trade and jobs,” said Donnelly, who is a retired U.S. Ambassador and trade negotiator.

Donnelly added: “Frankly, FDI, investment treaties and global economic integration are under unfair political attacks here at home and around the world.  We as business need to tell our story—how international investment flows, both inward and outward, are good for the American economy.  We welcome these opportunities to talk investment issues, not just with like-minded business groups but also with broader mix of participants that we find at OECD, UNCTAD and other UN sessions.  We are particularly grateful to Kimberley Claman from USCIB member company Citi for making time to take on a major speaking role. She did a fantastic job presenting how businesses in the real world approach investment decisions, and how those decisions are good for our economy.”

USCIB Provides Input to OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade

Published on April 14, 2021

Through Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB recently had an opportunity to contribute to an OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade Plenary Meeting. During the Plenary, the Chair of BIAC’s Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group and Chair of USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee, David Luna, highlighted the significant impact of illicit trade on the economy, businesses and people’s welfare. Luna also stressed the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders, including public and private, to counter the significant risks posed by illicit trade.

Luna used this platform to officially announce the launch of a new partnership program with the OECD, which seeks to strengthen public-private sector collaboration on tackling illicit trade. The partnership will commence with a special project focused on “the challenges of illicit trade for e-commerce” and will soon be followed by another project on “illicit trade in high-risk areas at the time of Covid-19.”

The partnership is also looking into launching two additional potential projects on Maritime Transports and Free Trade Zones.

USCIB Joins COVID-19 Global Workplace Challenge

Published on April 7, 2021

In advance of World Immunization Week later this month, USCIB has announced on April 6 that it has taken the “COVID-19 Global Workplace Challenge”—a commitment by companies to listen to employees’ needs and concerns about COVID-19 and encourage vaccine confidence and uptake.

The “Workplace Challenge” was launched this spring by Business Partners to CONVINCE, a multi-sector effort to empower a “vaccine-literate” public, based on trust in science and aligned commitment to future COVID-19 vaccines and other novel countermeasures.

“Business can play a pivotal role in addressing vaccine hesitancy with its extensive reach and the high level of trust imbued in employers by their employees,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “I encourage other companies and organizations around the globe to join the Workplace Challenge and, by doing so, showcase their commitment to make their workplaces safer and provide up-to-date information from health professionals to follow the science.

By joining the Workplace Challenge, USCIB agrees to:

  • Listen to employees’ needs and concerns about the impact and prevention of COVID-19
  • Follow the latest public health guidance to protect myself, my employees, my workplace, my customers, and my community from COVID-19
  • Promote vaccine literacy based on the latest scientific evidence of vaccination benefits and risks
  • Encourage vaccine confidence and uptake
  • Advocate for accessible, equitable, and timely vaccination of employees
  • Engage with communities, schools, faith-based organizations and public health leaders to stop the spread of COVID-19

For more information on Business Partners to CONVINCE or to join the Workplace Challenge, please visit: www.businesspartners2convince.org.

USCIB Supports Candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin for ITU Secretary General

Published on April 7, 2021
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Source: US Mission to Geneva

Washington, D.C., April 1, 2021 — The U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) expresses strong support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to serve as the next Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 31, 2021:

“The pandemic-related challenges we all have grappled with for more than a year have highlighted the importance of ensuring global connectivity and access to telecommunications/ICTs to promote economic and societal benefits,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

“We salute the competence and spirit with which Doreen Bogdan-Martin has tackled these issues as Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau during an especially trying time for the global community. And as a longtime proponent of gender equality and initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide, she is, in our opinion, superbly qualified to lead the ITU into the future. We strongly endorse Ms. Bogdan-Martin’s candidacy for Secretary General.”

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. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD (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.

Senior White House Official Peter Harrell Meets With USCIB Trade and Investment Committee

Published on March 31, 2021
Peter Harrell

USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee welcomed White House Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness Peter Harrell during the Committee’s quarterly meeting on March 25.

Harrell, who is dual-hatted in both the National Security Council (NSC) and National Economic Council (NEC), outlined Biden Administration policies and priorities on a range of international economic issues, including trade, and according to USCIB Senior Advisor Shaun Donnelly, had a candid Q&A session with USCIB members.

“It was great to hear directly and candidly from a senior White House official playing a key role on a wide range of issues important to our members,” said USCIB’s new Senior Vice President for Innovation, Regulation, and Trade Brian Lowry. “I was especially impressed that Peter wanted to listen to views, as well as questions, from our members and offered candid answers. We look forward to a continuing dialogue with Peter Harrell and other senior Administration officials on a range of important and challenging issues.”

USCIB Co-Hosts Seminar of Digital Issues in Brazil’s OECD Accession  

Published on March 24, 2021

USCIB joined with the U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Brazil Business Council and Brazil’s National Industrial Confederation (CNI) to co-host an important seminar on Brazil’s accession to the OECD.

The seminar on March 18 on Digital Issues in Brazil’s OECD accession featured speakers from the Brazilian and U.S. governments, digital trade experts from the OECD Secretariat and the Business at OECD (BIAC) coalition, in which both CNI and USCIB are actively involved, as well as private sector representatives.

The virtual session, the second in an on-going series on various critical policy issues in Brazil’s OECD candidacy, drew over seventy-five participants from Brazil, the U.S., and beyond.

“We has an excellent introductory discussion of a wide range of digital issues, including privacy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data localization, and intellectual property protections,” said USCIB Senior Advisor Shaun Donnelly, who co-chaired the session. “Clearly both the Brazilian government and our friends at CNI and across the Brazilian private sector are enthusiastic about the possibility of Brazil becoming a candidate to join the OECD. That OECD accession process is never an easy one; OECD standards are high. But because it is an important partner for the U.S. and for our member companies, we continue to play an active and constructive role in this process, both in various BIAC expert committees in Paris and in efforts like today’s seminar with our members and partners like CNI and the U.S. and Brazilian Governments.”

 

USCIB Welcomes Senate’s Unanimous Confirmation Vote on USTR Tai

Published on March 18, 2021
Photo: Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Washington, D.C., March 18, 2021—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) salutes the Senate for its unanimous vote on March 17 to confirm Katherine Tai as the next U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), believing she is a solid choice for this important cabinet-level position, bringing outstanding experience as an attorney-advisor and litigator at USTR, as Chief Trade Counsel for the House of Representatives Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, and as an attorney in the private sector.

America’s economic growth, jobs and competitiveness, our future, depends to a considerable degree on how well we are able to engage and compete in today’s, and tomorrow’s, global economy. USTR Tai will lead America’s efforts on some very important trade and investment issues including our leadership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), updated and improved rules on digital trade, reducing foreign trade and investment barriers hurting American companies and workers, and effectively enforcing our existing network of trade agreements. Tai’s experience with Congress, as well as her expertise in trade law, the WTO and in Asia and China will serve her, and our country, very well in ​this crucial position.

“USCIB knows and respects Ms.Tai and has worked well with her in her important role at the Ways and Means Committee,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “As an organization committed to open trade and investment flows, as well as high standards of corporate responsibility, all of us at USCIB and our member companies look forward to working with Ms.Tai to advance America’s economic interests and our shared values.”

Citi’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Global Government Affairs Rick Johnston, who also c​hairs the USCIB Trade and Investment Committee added, “Ms. Tai is the timely choice for this critical role as USTR at a very important an​d challenging time. Winning unanimous support from the Senate is a rare tribute to her abilities, her experience, and the respect she has earned from all quarters. The right leader at the right time for a very important job.”

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. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD (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.

2021 Crosscutting Policy Briefs

Published on March 16, 2021

Multilateral cooperation is the single most powerful vehicle to achieve an inclusive and sustainable path to dealing with the enormity of the challenges facing society today. As our nation and the world face daunting crises of healthcare, unemployment and poverty, climate change and human rights, recognition of business as an essential partner in finding solutions in the international policy arena is critical to achieving success.

Recommendations to the Biden Administration: Mobilizing for Recovery, Prosperity, & Sustainability

Vision Statement

 

Multilateral Trade & an Effective WTO Are Vital to Sustainable Economic Recovery

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a cornerstone of the global rules-based trading system and has helped spread growth and development for decades. Beyond the WTO, market opening efforts, for example in the form of negotiations of agreements, are vital to ensure our economic connectivity to the global marketplace. The Administration should continue to push for WTO reform, reviving the appellate body, concluding ongoing negotiations, looking for new opportunities and resolving long-standing issues like those of developing country status.

Advancing Human Rights and Rule of Law, Leveraging Supply Chains

UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,” makes clear the key role that governance and the rule of law play in promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies and in ensuring sustainable development. Despite the many government high-level pledges to promote human rights and decent work in line with International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, however, national-level implementation remains poor in far too many countries.

A New International Policy Strategy to Combat Illicit Trade

Illicit trade is a serious threat that harms U.S. economic and national security. It feeds a booming multi-trillion dollar global illegal economy and harms every market, puts public health and safety at risk, and upends the rule of law and damages investment climates. It is a threat multiplier that helps fuel transnational crime, kleptocracy, corruption and bribery, e-commerce frauds and greater insecurity and instability around the world. COVID-19 has further exacerbated criminality and IP infringement including through illicit trade that is putting the health and safety of citizens and communities at risk.

Redefine the U.S.-China Relationship Based on Constructive Dialogue & Tough-Minded, Focused Enforcement

U.S.-China economic relations are complex and multifaceted, and American business holds a direct and important stake in this relationship and in a predictable and fair trade and investment regime. As the world’s largest economy outside the U.S., China’s practices and policies have a significant impact on its trading partners, the U.S. economy, and on global trade. China’s continually growing presence in the global economy requires both countries to work together to address common challenges and responsibilities.

Promoting Vaccine Confidence, Health & Economic Recovery

COVID-19 vaccine confidence leading to vaccine uptake will directly contribute to individual, family, community and societal health and well-being, in turn keeping people working and the global economy functioning. The private sector can play a pivotal role in addressing vaccine hesitancy with its extensive reach and high level of trust imbued in employers by their employees. Business Partners to CONVINCE (COVID-19 New Vaccine INformation, Communication and Engagement), an initiative of The USCIB Foundation, seeks to engage employers in a unified vaccine confidence project that is global in scope to combat growing mistrust and misinformation on vaccines, and on COVID-19 in particular.

Digital Transformation is Key to Effective COVID Response & Building Back Better

The extent to which use of remote video-conferencing has become the norm for doing business and engaging in social interaction shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic puts in stark relief the importance of innovative technologies for economic and societal well-being. U.S. high technology companies – global leaders in this sector – have the potential to fuel resilience and recovery by creating new jobs and greater efficiencies across all sectors. This will mean greater employment for Americans and enhanced global business competitiveness as we recover from the pandemic.

Climate Change & Innovation: Advancing Economic Prosperity & Environmental Progress Together

As the U.S. re-joins and re-engages with the Paris Agreement, it will be expected to prepare a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), setting out its climate policy objectives and describing the means by which those objectives will be met. A key consideration in developing the U.S. NDC will be to catalyze U.S. private sector innovation and enhance its competitiveness by cooperating with allies inside and outside the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), not only domestically but also in the international arena, via trade, investment and public-private partnerships.

Addressing the Challenges of International Taxation for U.S. Business in the Global Marketplace

The immediate international tax policy priorities facing the Administration center around the current critical review phase for the OECD digital tax project which has been ongoing for several years. The absence of a global solution to revising an international tax system that has proven to be in some ways no longer fit for purpose in the digitalized economy has led to a proliferation of unilateral tax measures that disproportionately burden U.S. business. Many foreign jurisdictions and the European Union are committed to maintaining and increasing unilateral taxation solutions in the absence of global tax reform agreement.

Biodiversity & Nature-Based Solutions

The U.S. business community strongly supports environmental stewardship and sustainable use of natural resources as set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Biodiversity is essential to planetary and human health; every essential service of nature relies on biodiversity, whether on land or marine, such as clean air and water, food security, and genetic materials, which could offer cures and treatments for health challenges and many others.