Competitiveness and Innovation Archives

USCIB in the News

Published on January 23, 2017

ICC United Kingdom, which serves as the British national committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, was featured in the Financial Times on January 18 in response to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech on the UK’s position on Brexit. The article, reprinted below, is also available on the FT’s website.

We encourage you to share this with others as well as follow ICC UK on Twitter: @iccwboUK

UK BUSINESS MUST MAKE THE CASE FOR TRADE DURING EXIT TALKS

Sir, Signs that the British government will sacrifice access to the single market during Brexit negotiations are indeed worrying. I find the assertion that “many are now becoming increasingly relaxed about a hard Brexit” (January 17) genuinely concerning. The Brexit negotiations will dictate the future of UK-EU trade relationships, jobs and livelihoods for generations to come.

The UK is one of the largest trading economies in the world, so the impacts will be felt far beyond its and the EU’s borders. Whatever happens, we must all come away with a deal that works for all parties. For business, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, retaining access to the single market is the best option — keeping red tape, costs and disruption to a minimum. Don’t be conned into thinking the numbers are irrelevant: a 2-3 per cent tariff increase can mean the difference between an SME being successful or going bust. For foreign investors, 2-3 per cent can totally change the business case for investing in the UK. More paperwork means someone has to be paid to fill it in — someone has to pay for that. International businesses do not operate in silos.

UK, EU and non-EU businesses are often intertwined through integrated supply chains that move goods, services and finance across borders. Now is not the time to put up barriers or add costs if we want more trade, jobs and investment. We must all work hard to keep borders open — this is not just a UK priority, but also a G20 priority. Negotiations haven’t even started yet. We need to remain cool headed and must not get comfortable with the idea that the UK will leave the single market. Small businesses need the next best alternative with maximum freedom and minimal red tape. UK business isn’t powerless. We must communicate with the government and electorate, we must loudly make the case for trade, and we must not give up.

Chris Southworth Secretary-General, International Chamber of Commerce, London WC1, UK

Priorities for the Trump Administration

Published on January 20, 2017
USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson
USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson

By Peter M. Robinson
President and CEO, USCIB

As I write this, the administration of President Donald Trump is taking shape. Uncertainty remains as to how his campaign promises will be acted upon, and what his top priorities will be. But one thing is clear: our nation’s continued prosperity and security demand that the United States remain engaged internationally on key issues including trade, climate change, sustainability and support for a rules-based global economy.

American companies are heavily invested in creating the conditions for expanded U.S. influence internationally, and for renewed investment and growth at home. USCIB is well positioned to work with the new administration and Congress – and with the overseas business partners with whom we have established longstanding close ties – to support our member’s interests by focusing attention on the key issues and initiatives that will undergird America’s growth and success, and strengthen the global economy, in the 21st century.

Defining America’s role in the 21st century must be a top priority. USCIB is ready to work in concert with the Trump administration and Congress to develop the strategy for U.S. engagement with the wider world – one that both continues and augments the benefits that American businesses, workers and consumers draw from active participation in the global economy and international institutions. We need policies that anticipate, address and support the demands of a changing American workplace, while addressing the legitimate needs of those displaced or disadvantaged by the 21st-century global economy.

Building on strength

Such a strategy must recognize and build upon America’s strengths in innovation, entrepreneurship, world-class work force and know-how. It should further seek to leverage American business to reinforce U.S. global leadership, and effectively engage with multilateral institutions to foster international rules and a level playing field that support our competitiveness. The U.S. should also seek to make these institutions more accountable and representative of key global stakeholders, including the private sector, in pursuit of shared goals and values. As the recognized U.S. business interface — by virtue of our unique global network — with the UN, OECD, ILO and other multilateral bodies, USCIB is especially well-positioned to help bring this about.

Broadly speaking, we are looking to advance four themes with the new administration:

  1. Making globalization work for everyone – The benefits to the United States of increased trade and investment with the world are significant and broadly dispersed across the entire population. But the painful downside of job loss as the result of foreign competition is felt sharply by many individuals and localities. We need policies that effectively address the short-term losses while ensuring the broad gains remain intact, demonstrating the value of economic openness and dynamism for all Americans.
  2. Growing a dynamic, 21st-century economy – Keeping an open door to trade and investment is only part of the equation in building a robust, dynamic economy for the 21st century. Many of the biggest handicaps to U.S. competitiveness are self-inflicted: poor investment in infrastructure, lagging educational institutions, an antiquated and byzantine tax system and poorly constructed immigration policies. We need to build bipartisan support for sensible, long-term investments and policy reforms in each of these areas.
  3. American leadership in the wider world – Farsighted U.S. policies have helped foster global growth and stability ever since World War Two. This in turn has provided direct benefits to America in terms of national security, as well as our ability to grow and compete in the international economy. The world now confronts multiple challenges (such as climate change, terrorism, migration and slow growth in many economies) that demand continued American leadership and close international cooperation.
  4. Transparent and accountable international institutions – America, and American business, led the way in building the postwar international institutions and a rules-based system to foster global stability, growth and development. Unfortunately, some international organizations in the UN family are becoming hostile to the private sector, seeking to exclude business representatives from key meetings and to impose an anti-business agenda. We need to confront that discrimination, while actively supporting and growing the mutually beneficial relationships that do exist after over 70 years of consultative status by global business with various UN agencies. In this regard, we welcome the UN’s recognition of the positive role of business through the recent granting of Observer Status at the UN General Assembly to the International Chamber of Commerce.

We are ready to work with the Trump administration and Congress to strengthen U.S. competitiveness, reap the gains from participation in global markets and trade, and deliver benefits in the form of jobs and opportunities for U.S. workers. These objectives can and must be pursued together.

Washington Conference to Explore OECD’s Role in Facilitating the Digital Transformation

Published on January 17, 2017

ict_conference_boxNew York, N.Y., January 18, 2017 – How can policy makers and the business community work together to ensure that new technologies and digital applications can lead to a more prosperous, productive, inclusive and socially beneficial world? And what lessons can be learned from recent discussions and related work within the 35-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?

This is the focus of a timely conference, “Fostering Digital Transformation: The OECD’s Role,” organized by The USCIB Foundation, the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), March 8 in Washington, D.C.

“This will be an important forum for dialogue among technologists and policy makers to help us navigate toward a more robust, secure and inclusive digital economy,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “Following last year’s pivotal OECD Ministerial in Cancun, which recognized the digital economy as a powerful catalyst for innovation, growth and overall prosperity, the focus will be on moving forward the OECD’s ambitious agenda. We will explore how broad-ranging OECD policy frameworks can help to address new challenges posed by changing global policy dynamics.”

Topics for discussion include:

  • The Digital Economy and Information Society of the Future
  • Realizing the Global Commercial Benefits and Corporate Societal Responsibilities of Digitalization
  • Enhancing Trust in the Digitally Connected Ecosystem

Confirmed speakers for the event include:

  • Douglas Frantz, deputy secretary general of the OECD
  • Andrew Wyckoff, director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation
  • Anne Carblanc, head of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Division
  • Eric Loeb, senior vice president of international external and regulatory affairs, AT&T
  • Joseph Alhadeff, vice president of global public policy, Oracle Corp.

The conference, which is co-organized by the OECD and Business at OECD (BIAC), will take place at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center (901 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.). More information is available on the conference website. Event sponsors and partners include AT&T, Google, Microsoft and Inside Cybersecurity.

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, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, click here to e-mail

Public Private Collaboration Crucial for Success of Health Reforms

Published on January 17, 2017

Addressing the OECD Health Committee yesterday, Business at OECD (BIAC) emphasized the private sector role as partner both in bringing innovative solutions in health and well-being and in intensifying public-private collaboration with OECD and governments.

Ministers from over 35 OECD and partner countries discussed the Next Generation of Health Reforms. This reflects the challenge that many countries face from the demographic transition to an ageing society and the associated increase in the burden of chronic diseases and related co-morbidities. The meeting addressed a number of topics, including ineffective health spending and avoiding waste, the opportunities offered by new health technologies, the role of health professionals and realizing the promise offered by Big Data in health.

“Health systems in OECD countries face numerous complex challenges,” stated Nicole Denjoy, chair of the BIAC Health Committee. “What they have in common is that these challenges can only be overcome through multi-stakeholder efforts. Health policies need to embrace innovation, encourage education, and foster economic growth; therefore achieving greater policy coherence will be crucial.”

Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, added: “With the debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act currently embroiling Washington, it’s useful to place discussions of health care affordability and effectiveness in a global context.”

In the paper entitled “Priorities and Vision for the Future of Health,” which was released during the Health Ministerial, business identifies four priority recommendations for the OECD and governments: integrating care, embracing innovation, promoting balanced nutrition and active lifestyles and investing in a healthier future. The paper, which also highlights how private-public dialogue and partnerships could inform health policies and related analysis, can be accessed here.

 

Sustainable Business Opens Major Economic Opportunity

Published on January 17, 2017

ICC’s Secretary General John Danilovich welcomed a new report – Better Business, Better World – which has been developed by a group of over 35 CEOs and civil society leaders including Danilovich himself. The Business and Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC) initiative was launched one year ago with the aim of inspiring business leaders to drive implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The BSDC’s headline finding is that putting the SDG’s at the heart of the world’s economic strategy could unleash a step-change in growth and productivity. Analysis presented in the report suggests that SDG-related markets have the potential to grow two to three times faster than average GDP over the next five years – with many “unicorns” (start-ups valued at over US$1 billion) already finding major success in these sectors from mobility systems through to circular manufacturing.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Danilovich said: “The report makes clear that sustainability is no longer a luxury investment: it’s a core driver of business productivity and growth in the 21st Century. The Global Goals have created enormous opportunities for businesses willing to put sustainability at the heart of their operations.”

Danilovich added: “We believe the SDGs should be known as the BDGs – the Business Development Goals. There is a huge opportunity for business to drive the transition to a better and more just world. We want the BSDC report to inspire a new generation of business leaders who put sustainability first because it makes plain business sense.”

Many companies are already taking action to support implementation of the SDG’s. In fact, USCIB has launched Businessfor2030.org in 2015 to track initiatives and contributions that businesses have been making to achieve sustainable development through the prism of the SDG’s.

Better Business, Better World was launched at the Philanthropreneurship Forum in Vienna, Austria, and will also be discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

To access the report, visit the Business & Sustainable Development Commission

 

Only Three More to Go for WTO’s TFA Entry Into Force

Published on January 17, 2017

The World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is likely to enter into force within the next week. Only three more ratifications are now required to reach the 110-country threshold for the agreement to take effect.

The TFA is critical to business, creating more jobs, transparency and predictability while reducing costs and cutting red tape at borders.

Research has shown that implementation of the WTO TFA could reduce global trading costs, on average, by nearly 14.5 percent and cut trading costs for low income countries by at least an estimated 13 percent; nearly 14 percent for lower – middle income countries and nearly 13 percent for upper -middle income countries. Implementation of the TFA can also create up to 20 million jobs and add over $1 trillion to global trade flows.

On January 20, Nigeria became the 106th country to ratify the WTO TFA. Prior to Nigeria, Mozambique deposited its instrument of ratification at the WTO. Mozambique, was joined by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which deposited its instrument of ratification at the WTO on January 9, 2017.

USCIB Senior Director for Customs Megan Giblin who has been working on the TFA since 2015 noted that “USCIB’s focus has been primarily on the ratification of U.S. FTA partners as well as APEC economies. Outreach efforts and advocacy will continue.”

Countries who have accepted the Agreement:

Hong Kong China, Singapore, the United States, Mauritius, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, the Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Niger, Belize, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, China, Liechtenstein, Lao PDR, New Zealand, Togo, Thailand, the European Union (on behalf of its 28 member states), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Pakistan, Panama, Guyana, Côte d’Ivoire, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Myanmar, Norway, Viet Nam, Brunei, Ukraine, Zambia, Lesotho, Georgia, Seychelles, Jamaica, Mali, Cambodia, Paraguay, Turkey, Brazil, Macao China, the United Arab Emirates, Samoa, India, the Russian Federation, Montenegro, Albania, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, Madagascar, the Republic of Moldova, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Iceland, Chile, Swaziland, Dominica, Mongolia, Gabon, the Kyrgyz Republic, Canada, Ghana, Mozambique, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

 

USCIB in the News: Op-ed in The Hill on UN Funding

Published on January 11, 2017

un_headquarters_lo-resUSCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson published a timely op-ed in The Hill addressing recent calls in Congress to withhold or withdraw U.S. funding for the United Nations. The op-ed, reprinted below, is also available on The Hill’s website.

This op-ed comes as President-elect Trump’s top appointees, including his proposed foreign policy team, are on Capitol Hill for Senate confirmation hearings. We encourage you to share the op-ed with your colleagues and others who may be interested.

The Hill

January 11, 2017

Walking away from the UN would harm US economic interests

By Peter M. Robinson, opinion contributor

With President-elect Trump’s key foreign policy nominees facing Senate confirmation hearings this week and next, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are threatening to withhold or slash U.S. funding for the United Nations.

This would be a bad idea, both for American power and influence, and for our economic interests. It would be especially risky for U.S. companies and workers.

My organization — The United States Council for International Business — has represented American business views to the U.N. and other international organizations for decades.

We know the U.N. sometimes fails to measure up to our expectations, particularly when it and its specialized agencies have provided a platform for anti-business views. Why do we put up with this? Why shouldn’t we just take our chips and go home?

Quite simply, because we know that no country, including the United States, can go it alone. A strong U.S. presence in the U.N. enhances our influence and our overall security.

More than ever, at a time when terrorism, cybersecurity threats, disease pandemics and refugee crises can disrupt our lives, we need the kind of platform for close international cooperation and collective action that the U.N. can provide.

This is especially true for American companies with customers, employees and operations around the world. While we may not agree with everything the U.N. does, it is simply not in our interest to withdraw support.

We in the private sector see an urgent need for the United States to stick up for its economic interests in the U.N.

For instance, in the negotiations that culminated in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the U.S. had to push back hard against proposals to undermine protection for innovation and intellectual property rights, to assign historical liability for loss and damage from natural disasters, and to ban certain technologies or energy options important to U.S. energy security and climate risk reduction.

Without strong U.S. leadership, these initiatives would have carried the day, hampering American jobs and competitiveness.

At their best, the U.N. and similar bodies set global standards and develop rules that allow U.S. businesses to plan and invest.

Recent U.N. initiatives that have helped American business and our economy include agreements that support a fundamentally “hands-off” approach to the global Internet and guidelines laying out the roles and responsibilities of the private sector and governments in upholding human rights.

Moreover, the U.N. has recently developed the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing an array of challenges, from ending global poverty and hunger to ensuring access to energy, for the next decade and beyond.

The SDGs were developed in close partnership with the private sector, which will be responsible for “delivering the goods” in many, if not most, measures of success.

So, is the U.N. perfect? Far from it, but withholding funding or walking away from the U.N. won’t change that.

Like it or not, it is part of the fundamental infrastructure for global economic activity. Like other infrastructure, the U.N. is desperately in need of repair to meet the needs of the 21st century.

If we play our cards right, this can be a century of American-led innovation and entrepreneurship. President-elect Trump’s administration should insist that the U.N. live up to its potential, defending and advancing U.S. interests in the influential world body.

Business will be there to help. Just last month, the U.N. afforded highly-selective Observer Status in the U.N. General Assembly to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the business organization that represents enterprises across the globe in numerous U.N. deliberations.

This is an important sign of progress, indicating that the U.N. recognizes the need to work more effectively with business.

(Full disclosure: My organization serves as ICC’s American chapter and we pushed hard in support of ICC’s application.)

Congress should meet U.S. funding obligations and work with the Trump administration to hold the U.N. accountable to the U.S. and other member governments, as well as to economic stakeholders in the business community.

Strong engagement and leadership in the global body by the United States is an opportunity too important to lose. American security, jobs and economic opportunities are at stake if the U.S. were to indeed walk away.

Peter M. Robinson is president and CEO of the United States Council for International Business. He is an appointee to the President’s Committee on the International Labor Organization and the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Public-Private Partnerships. Robinson holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

TTIP: Now More Than Ever, We Need a Common Vision for the Future

Published on January 5, 2017
USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson
USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson

By Peter M. Robinson, President and CEO, United States Council for International Business (USCIB)

This column was originally published in Echanges Internationaux, the magazine of ICC France, the French national committee of the International Chamber of Commerce.

The past year has been a disappointing one for transatlantic trade policy. More than ever, we must stand up for trade and investment, two keys for economic growth and job creation. Peter M. Robinson, President and CEO of the United States Council for International Business (ICC USA), puts forward some ideas for a common transatlantic business agenda.

Efforts by the United States and the European Union to negotiate a comprehensive, high-standard Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership have progressed at a disappointingly slow pace. As we near the end of the Obama administration (and look ahead to a Trump administration that promises a decidedly different approach to trade policy), TTIP has gotten mired in squabbling over a range of challenging issues and is now effectively sidelined.

These are challenging times for global companies and for major business organizations, including the International Chamber of Commerce and its national committees – such as ICC France and USCIB.

Strong, credible voices from business are more important than ever. The U.S., France and Europe more broadly all need more economic growth, more prosperity, more and better jobs. And as we in the ICC family know, one of the best ways to drive that growth is through increased international trade and investment. With that said, I would put forward the following as a common transatlantic business agenda that we can all agree on.

Keep pushing on trade liberalization

The U.S. and EU must keep pressing ahead on the important and challenging issues in TTIP. We cannot let the change of administration in the U.S., internal divisions within the EU, or other distractions deter us or our political leaders from achieving a comprehensive, ambitious, and balanced Transatlantic economic framework. TTIP was, and remains, our preferred option but that pathway seems blocked at least for the time being. It won’t be easy, and it won’t get done as fast as we’d like. But whether TTIP or some other comparable U.S.-EU agreement, it is more important to get a great agreement than to get a quick or easy agreement.

At the same time as we work to cement transatlantic ties, the U.S. and EU also need to keep providing strong leadership for the multilateral trading system, principally through support for and leadership of the World Trade Organization, which desperately needs a strong shot in the arm. The U.S. and Europe must work together to push forward an ambitious multilateral trade agenda for as we approach the WTO ministerial in Argentina in late 2017.

Work together on development

One key element of any WTO agenda needs to be a strong development pillar, designing and implementing creative ways the WTO trade regime can more effectively promote economic growth in the least developed countries, especially in Africa.

Through our “Business for 2030” initiative, USCIB had spearheaded efforts within the ICC network to provide proactive, constructive business participation in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. We would love to work more closely with ICC France and other leading ICC national committees in Europe on this effort, as we did successfully on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Our website www.businessfor2030.org provides additional information on this important effort.

Join forces on global taxation

Business needs clear, predictable, and fair tax regimes in order to plan and execute its operations. Both European and American business need to be more active, and more closely coordinated, in our participation in the G-20 and OECD efforts to reform global taxation. ICC France and USCIB actively engaged in the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). We cannot allow the BEPS effort to get hijacked by those with an anti-business agenda.

Keep global organizations “open for business”

Unfortunately, some international organizations in the UN family are becoming hostile to the private sector, seeking to exclude business representatives from key meetings and to impose an anti-business agenda. Leading U.S. and European business groups, and the global ICC network, need to confront that discrimination, while actively supporting and growing the mutually beneficial relationships that do exist after over 70 years of consultative status with various UN agencies.

I have laid out a long and challenging agenda. I very much look forward to working with François Georges and his dynamic team at ICC France in all of these important areas. We have a lot to do, and a lot more that we can do together. Let’s get to work.

Hold the Date: ICC Institute Masterclass for Arbitrators

Published on December 19, 2016

ICC Institute Masterclass for Arbitrators: Overview of fundamentals and best practices related to serving as an arbitrator

Please save the date for the upcoming ICC Institute Masterclass for Arbitrators: Overview of fundamentals and best practices related to serving as an arbitrator,

Date: March 13-15, 2017

Location: Washington, DC

This advanced level training will provide participants with an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into some of the provisions of the 2012 ICC Rules of Arbitration while learning about the latest developments and best practices related to serving as an international arbitrator.

Topics to include:
• The role and appointment of arbitrators
• Establishing the arbitrator’s authority to create a suitable working framework
• Conduct of the proceedings and case management techniques
• Mock arbitral tribunal to explore issues pertaining to relations between arbitrators
• Drafting enforceable awards and scrutiny by the ICC International Court of Arbitration

Who should attend:
• Practitioners who have significant experience in international commercial arbitration as counsel, but little or no experience as arbitrators.
• Arbitrators who wish to reinforce their knowledge.

Registration information will be circulated when it is available. If you are interested in attending, please email Alexandra Akerly.

BIAC Holds Business Day to Discuss OECD Role at G20 and B20

Published on December 19, 2016

biac_business_daySenior business leaders from BIAC’s global membership and key OECD representatives met on December 8 at the OECD in Paris to discuss OECD’s Contributions to the G20 and the B20. The high-level panel addressed the G20 and the German Presidency and was framed by panels addressing policy topics in Employment and Education, Responsible Business Conduct/Anti-Bribery, Trade and Investment, Digital Economy, and Energy, Climate and Resource Efficiency. The day was rounded off by remarks from Frédéric Sanchez, president of France’s business association, MEDEF, and CEO of Fives.

 

USCIB was represented by Jonathan Huneke, USCIB’s vice president for communications and public affairs, and BIAC Vice Chair and USCIB Board Member Rick Johnston.

 

For more information on BIAC’s Business Day, please visit their website.