Growth, Jobs and Open Markets Archives

Kristen Kaufman, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, Norine Kennedy, Howard Wachtel (Microsoft), Peter Yeo (UN Foundation).

The USCIB Foundation and the United Nations Foundation’s Better World Campaign hosted US Business & the United Nations: UN Procurement Opportunities on October 8 in New York. The working lunch explored domestic job creation opportunities for US companies and featured remarks from Ambassador Jeff Bartos, US Representative for UN Management and Reform. 

Following opening remarks from Peter Yeo, President of the Better World Campaign, Norine Kennedy, Executive Director of The USCIB Foundation, moderated an expert panel that explored the cooperation of US businesses and the UN, focusing on UN procurement opportunities for American companies. Panelists included Sayra Partida, Program Analyst, US Mission to the United Nations, USCIB’s Digital Governance Working Group Co-Chair Howard Wachtel, Senior Director, Head of UN and International Organizations Policy, Microsoft, Harry Chen, Senior Director Innovation and Partnerships, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, and Ekrem Sarper, Head of International Public Policy, Cigna Healthcare.  

Last year, US companies received more than two billion dollars in UN contracts, more than any other country, highlighting the significant opportunities for US businesses of all sectors and sizes to engage with the UN. Kennedy stated that the value proposition for the UN to work with US business went beyond the economic benefit, given the leadership of US companies when it comes to innovation and responsible business conduct.  

Ambassador Jeff Bartos.

Ambassador Hurley meets with USCIB members at the US Mission during OECD Trade Week.

This week, USCIB led a delegation of a dozen members to OECD Trade Week, a full five days of conversations about trade and China as part of the semi-annual OECD Trade Committee plenary, the OECD Global Forum on Trade, a B7-Business at OECD (BIAC) Critical Minerals Dialogue, a Workshop on Technology Transfer, a China Expert Group Consultation, and OECD accession discussions.  

The week also included a member breakfast with US Ambassador to the OECD John Hurley to discuss the role of the OECD in advancing US business interests. USCIB also co-hosted an intimate Trade Committee dinner with the US Deputy Chief or Mission Rebecca Neff, the OECD Ambassadors to Japan and Sweden, and senior US, Norwegian and OECD trade officials. 

USCIB member Lisa Schroeter (Dow) speaks at OECD Trade Week.

Members were featured speakers at all of the discussions in Paris, sharing practical perspectives on the challenges of: diversifying critical mineral supply chains; competing against China’s subsidies, industrial policies and forced technology transfers; and developing best practices for diffusing technology/AI to emerging economies. OECD Ambassadors and trade officials were thrilled with the business delegations’ advice and engagement.  

Kudos to the full USCIB delegation for sharing insights, with particular acknowledgement to Kenan Arkann (JP Morgan) and Carol Andrews (Microsoft) for presenting on critical mineral supply chains, to USCIB board member and Food and Agriculture Committee Chair Alejandra Castro (Bayer) and Jason Bernstein (ACC) for addressing technology transfer, to Lisa Schroeter (Dow), David Boman (Intuitive Surgical), and Ari Sulby (SIA) for addressing China excess capacity and NMPPs, and USCIB Senior Vice President for Trade, Investment and Digital Policy Alice Slayton Clark for moderating a critical minerals panel on financing.  

OECD Trade Week continues through tomorrow, October 9. Stay tuned for a full recap of USCIB’s activities at the OECD next week. 

Keith Sonderling (DOL) and Whitney Baird at USCIB’s 80th Anniversary Gala.

Washington, DC, October 1, 2026—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) congratulates Keith Sonderling on his confirmation as United States Labor Secretary. Prior to this appointment, Sonderling served as the Acting Labor Secretary, as well as Deputy Secretary of Labor.  

As the official US Employer Representative to the International Labour Organization, USCIB negotiates directly with governments, including with the US government, to help shape standards that are conducive to US business success globally. 

“USCIB welcomes Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary,” said Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB. “USCIB engages closely with the US Department of Labor and we have a long-standing productive relationship with Secretary Sonderling. We look forward to continuing this partnership to champion labor relations globally for both US businesses and workers.” 

About USCIB  

The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) powers the success of US business across the globe. Our members include US-based companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, with operations in every region of the world. As the US affiliate of leading international business organizations including Business at OECD (BIAC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), USCIB advances the US business perspective to policymakers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate commerce, support sustainable development, and build trust in multilateral systems. USCIB is also the national guaranteeing and issuing association for ATA Carnets, a unified international customs document that allows for the temporary import and export of various types of goods into a foreign country without paying duties or taxes. Learn more at www.uscib.org.  

Michael Lebovitz, Senior Vice President, International Tax at USCIB, provided his expertise in a Bloomberg Law article, EU Debates Locking US Companies Out of Corporate Tax Streamline, published on September 29. In the article, Lebovitz notes that not providing US ultimate parent entities an exemption creates “unnecessary compliance and a confusing layer of complexity.”

The full article is available here with a subscription to Bloomberg.

USCIB delegation with WTO Director General Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and WTO Deputy Director General DJ Nordquist.

Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President, Trade, Investment, and Digital at USCIB, led over twenty USCIB members, including Amazon, BAT, JTI, Dow, Mastercard, Microsoft, Visa, Walmart, in meetings at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum September 15-17.

Discussions were held with senior government representatives to the WTO, including US Ambassador Joseph Barloon, EU Ambassador María Martin-Prat, Canadian Ambassador Michelle Cooper, UK Ambassador Kumar Iyer, Swiss Ambassador Erwin Bollinger, Indian Ambassador Dr. C. Senthil Pandian, Singapore Ambassador Tan Hung Seng, Australia Ambassador James Baxter, and Japan Ambassador Katsuro Nagai, and senior WTO officials including Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Deputy Director General (DDG) Johanna Hill, Deputy Director General DJ Nordquist, Director for Services Juan Marchetti, and Director for Digital Emmanuelle Ganne.

Clark also moderated a breakfast roundtable discussion in collaboration with International Chamber of Commerce and Boston Consulting Group featuring USCIB members and global business representatives on non-tariff barriers to services trade and the role of the WTO.  DDG Hill, senior secretariat officials, US trade officials, and other foreign dignitaries attended and contributed to the conversation.

The Public Forum week also featured World Trade & Tech Day 2026 as well as a public-private sector discussion led by the US and 11 like-minded missions on how to improve notifications and transparency at the WTO.

USCIB APEC team: Ashley Harrington, Natalie Bidner-Swehla, and Michael Rousek,

USCIB participated in the 2026 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3), advocating for US business interests related to customs and labor provisions in trade agreements, global health, and food security and resilient agricultural systems. 

USCIB’s Michael Rousek, VP, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Natalie Bidner-Swehla, Director, International Agriculture, and Ashley Harrington, Manager, Health and Sustainability, were on site in Dalian, China, for respective meetings August 17-27. 

Rousek spoke at this year’s APEC Customs Business Dialogue (ACBD) on the role of technology and innovation in shaping customs processes and practices across the Asia-Pacific region. He reflected USCIB member views on the need for technology co-development with the private sector, embedding transparency and fairness into AI systems, and prioritizing trusted data-sharing frameworks to ensure secure and responsible use of confidential business information.  

He also spoke at the inaugural Dialogue on Trade and Labor, alongside Leah Liston, Director for Customs at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), and international organization partners. Rousek’s points focused on how international frameworks, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement can support the development and implementation of labor provisions in trade agreements.  

“USCIB members support high labor standards globally, including via our trade agreements, and support cooperation between APEC partners to provide crucial in-country technical assistance,” said Rousek.  

Finally, Rousek participated in the 18th Meeting of the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2), sharing thoughts and impressions from the Mexico City A2C2 meeting he attended earlier this year and discussing customs’ digitalization trends in the region.  

Bidner-Swehla exchanged perspectives with government and private-sector representatives during the Fourth APEC Seminar on Digitalization and Innovation in Food Supply Chains, where discussions focused on how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital traceability tools, can modernize food supply chains and strengthen food security. Participants explored innovations across the food value chain, from production and manufacturing to processing, packaging, logistics, and trade, with a focus on improving efficiency, transparency, resilience, and sustainability. 

Bidner-Swehla engaged with government leaders and private sector representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration in addressing food security challenges during the APEC High Level Public-Private Dialogue on Food Security. The discussion focused on the role of innovation, investment, trade, and public-private engagement in supporting resilient food systems. Participants emphasized that sustainable progress will require cooperation across sectors and policies that encourage investment, innovation, and the movement of food and agricultural goods across markets.

Bidner-Swehla also participated in the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) Plenary Meeting, where economies, international organizations, and private-sector representatives reviewed key priorities for strengthening food security throughout the region. Conversations focused on resilience, innovation, sustainability, and implementation of APEC’s Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030. Participants explored ways to enhance cooperation across economies and ensure that policy discussions are informed by practical experience from stakeholders throughout the food and agriculture value chain. 

Restoring USCIB’s health workstream at APEC, Harrington covered a series of global health policy meetings vis-à-vis APEC’s Health Working Group (HWG) Plenary Meeting, the Second APEC Healthy Aging Policy Dialogue, and a workshop on promoting healthy aging through brain health and digital opportunities, among others. Throughout SOM3, she engaged with colleagues and delegates from across the Asia Pacific region on some of the most pressing health challenges and opportunities facing member economies, such as the growing importance of healthy aging, digital health and AI governance, mental health, obesity prevention, and stronger pandemic preparedness. 

At the HWG Plenary, Harrington engaged in discussions on priorities shaping the region’s health agenda, from life-course immunization and respiratory health to digital transformation and resilient health systems. The exchange underscored that stronger health outcomes and stronger economies are mutually reinforcing and that innovation, trusted partnerships, and meaningful private-sector engagement will be essential to delivering scalable solutions across APEC economies. 

Across all three engagements, a clear message emerged: healthy aging requires coordinated action across government, business, academia, and civil society. Harrington’s participation helped reestablish USCIB’s voice in APEC’s health discussions and reinforced the value of business expertise in advancing prevention, responsible digital innovation, and resilient health systems that support healthier populations and more sustainable economic growth throughout the Asia-Pacific region. 

USCIB’s Whitney Baird, President and CEO, and Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President, Trade, Investment, and Digital, will next attend the APEC CEO Summit in November.   

Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB, contributed an op-ed for the US Mexico Foundation ahead of the upcoming North Capital Forum in Mexico City, September 27-29, arguing for strengthening regional integration in the USMCA.

Renewing USMCA: A Trilateral Strategy for North American Competitiveness and Economic Security

The 2026 review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) arrives at a time when global trade is increasingly shaped by geopolitical rivalry, unilateralism, and the growing premise that economic security is national security. In this environment, the answer is not to retreat from USMCA but to build a stronger, more resilient North America that is open, efficient, predictable, and aligned to confront unfair trading practices from outside the region.

Some use the term “Fortress North America” for a continent that is founded and fortified through decades of free trade. A fortress does not suggest building walls between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but rather greater more regional coordination to strengthen our integrated market and supply chains so our three countries can respond together to external distortions and threats.

USMCA has already demonstrated that the trilateral model can deliver. A major achievement of the first Trump Administration, the agreement anchors one of the most integrated economic regions in the world, particularly in sectors like agriculture, energy, aerospace, and automotive, where parts and services, data, and goods cross borders multiple times during production. For US companies, trilateral integration optimizes efficiencies, streamlines operations, lowers costs, and makes them more competitive, especially vis-à-vis non-market economies. A stable and prosperous North America is instrumental to border stability and is a formidable counter to illicit trade and anticompetitive practices.

The July 1 USMCA review deadline passed without renewal, as the United States declined to extend the agreement until the parties address outstanding bilateral issues and modernize the text. That decision kickstarts a cycle of annual reviews over the next ten years, creating additional uncertainty for US companies that trade and invest across North America. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) has argued consistently that the 2026 review should renew USMCA as a trilateral agreement through 2042, so deeply integrated supply chains can continue to prosper and compete longer term. At the same time, renewal should not be a rubber stamp. We support targeted updates and stronger enforcement that enhance US competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and North American production, including addressing unlawful transshipment, reducing reliance on non-market inputs in strategic sectors, and ensuring that the benefits of USMCA accrue more directly to production in the region.

Rules of origin are a good example. They are essential to ensuring USMCA benefits accrue more directly to producers and workers in the region. Any changes must be approached with precision in close consultation with affected US businesses to ensure they are commercially workable and administrable by customs authorities. In some narrowly defined cases, tighter origin requirements may be warranted. However, generalized tightening, especially broad movement from workable tariff-shift rules to complex regional value content formulas, risks raising compliance costs, exposing sensitive supplier data, and disrupting supply chains where North American substitutes do not yet exist at scale. A stronger USMCA should use rules of origin with precision, supported by clear guidance, reasonable implementation timelines, and technical updates to align rules with current Harmonized System nomenclature.

The same principle should guide the treatment of Section 232 tariffs and other national security measures. North America cannot function as an integrated production platform if qualifying USMCA goods are repeatedly exposed to tariffs intended to address threats from outside the region. Goods that meet USMCA rules of origin should receive predictable duty-free treatment. Where national security reviews are undertaken, governments should consult closely with business, assess regional supply chain impacts, and coordinate approaches with Canada and Mexico where the risk comes from non-market economy practices outside the region.

Enforcement and compliance also should be improved. The three governments should expand customs cooperation, origin verification, import monitoring, and targeted anti-circumvention tools to address fraudulent preference claims and illicit transshipment. USMCA renewal should ensure compliance of commitments already made, particularly in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology, telecommunications, energy, customs administration, technical barriers to trade, electronic payments, and procurement. To support this goal, parties should improve the agreement’s consultative mechanisms so that business has a structured voice, outcomes are transparent, and non-conforming measures are corrected in practice, not merely identified on paper.

A forward-looking USMCA should also create new channels for regional collaboration, with critical minerals at the center. The United States, Canada, and Mexico possess abundant reserves of copper, lithium, and nickel — all critical minerals essential to advanced manufacturing and energy security. USMCA parties should develop a mechanism for better coordination of trade, subsidy, and investment policies in this critical sector to reduce dependence on unreliable foreign sources.

The same logic applies to subsidies and overcapacity. North America needs a trilateral mechanism to monitor and respond to overcapacity, helping maintain a level playing field and avoid retaliatory tariffs that undermine regional trust. And as each country develops its own AI governance framework, North America should avoid digital fragmentation and instead pursue interoperable, risk-based approaches that enable trusted AI systems, services, and products to scale across the region.

We need a USMCA that protects what works: open regional trade, trusted investment, efficient supply chains, high standards, innovation, and shared economic security. If done right, the 2026 review can achieve this goal, strengthening US competitiveness, preserving the integrity of the integrated North American market, and showing that the best counter to non-market economy practices is deeper cooperation among partners that build, innovate, and compete together. USCIB is steadfast in championing this outcome.

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Whitney Baird is President and CEO of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), a business association comprised of US-based companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, with operations in every region of the world. As the US affiliate of leading international business organizations including Business at OECD (BIAC), The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and The International Organisation of Employers (IOE), USCIB advances the US business perspective to policymakers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate commerce and build trust in multilateral systems.

USCIB’s letter to the OECD in response to the OECD’s request for comment on proposed amendments to the Model Reporting Rules for Digital Platforms was the focus of a Bloomberg Tax article on August 12, “Group Urges OECD to Tweak Digital Platform Tax Reporting Changes.”

The article is available here with a Bloomberg Tax subscription.

Washington, DC, June 30, 2026 — As the United States, Canada, and Mexico launch the six-year review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) calls on the parties to extend the agreement through 2042.

“USMCA is a state-of-the-art agreement that has delivered substantial benefits to US businesses by reinforcing North America as one of the most competitive regions in the world,” said Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB. It includes groundbreaking provisions for digital rules, technical barriers to trade, and agricultural standards. It is designed to promote regionally integrated supply chains, streamlining business operations, and reducing costs to benefit US workers, farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.

“At a time of intensifying global competition from non-market economies, the United States, Canada, and Mexico are stronger together,” Baird asserted. “USMCA gives US companies the certainty to invest, build, and hire across an integrated North American market of nearly 500 million consumers—supporting more than 13 million US jobs and nearly $2 trillion in annual trade. A swift trilateral extension will keep US companies resilient, innovative, and globally competitive.”

About USCIB

The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) powers the success of US business across the globe. Our members include US-based companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, with operations in every region of the world. As the US affiliate of leading international business organizations including Business at OECD (BIAC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the International Organization of Employers (IOE), USCIB advances the US business perspective to policymakers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate commerce, support sustainable development, and build trust in multilateral systems. USCIB is also the national guaranteeing and issuing association for ATA Carnets, a unified international customs document that allows for the temporary import and export of various types of goods into a foreign country without paying duties or taxes. Learn more at www.uscib.org.