News Stories Archives

US Business Launches ‘All In’ Initiative to Advance Business Engagement for Global Goals Implementation

Published on May 13, 2019
Geneva Week roundtable

USCIB partnered with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) to convene the first ‘All In’ Roundtable on Inclusive Multilateralism, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Business. USCIB’s ‘All In” Initiative seeks to launch a global conversation on how to strengthen dialogue, partnership and engagement with business to advance implementation of 2015 outcomes.

Over fifty participants from Geneva-based diplomatic missions, UN bodies, NGOs and business joined the event, including:

  • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet
  • Chargé d’affaires, ad Interim, of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations Mark Cassayre
  • Secretary General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder
  • Secretary General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Mukhisa Kituyi
  • UK Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Julian Braithwaite
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaks at the All In Roundtable

Expert panelists from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),UNICEF, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the UN Global Compact and the Partnering Initiative reflected on two themes that were raised in All In Discussion Starter papers:

– Public Private Partnerships with the UN – Designing for SDG impact

– Leveraging public private sector cooperation on technical and scientific knowledge for targeted SDG implementation

“The event highlighted the diverse variety of working arrangements to engage with non-state actors and the private sector,” said USCIB Vice President for Strategic International Engagement, Environment and Energy Norine Kennedy. “Through the “All In” initiative USCIB will draw on its long experience in the multilateral system to highlight what has worked well and to flag areas where further partnership, improvement and strengthening are needed to speed up and scale SDG impact. “

Further ‘All In’ roundtables are planned for Bangkok and other UN cities, on additional themes, including metrics for impact, infrastructure investment for SDG action and economic empowerment and inclusion. Based on this series of discussions throughout 2019, ‘All In’ will develop a 2020 Action Plan for Inclusive Multilateralism.

The ‘All In’ roundtable took place in conjunction with USCIB’s second annual Geneva Week, May 6-9.

USCIB Geneva Week Highlights US Business Priorities for Inclusive Multilateralism

Published on May 13, 2019
USCIB Geneva Week delegation

A delegation of USCIB members joined USCIB’s second annual Geneva Week May 6 – 9 to highlight U.S. business priority issues, underscore USCIB’s continuing commitment to engage constructively in the multilateral system and advance U.S. innovation and partnership for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). USCIB also held its public launch of the ‘All In’ Initiative in Geneva on May 8, with a luncheon and roundtable discussion on inclusive multilateralism, SDGs and business.

USCIB Geneva Week provided an opportunity to discuss with diplomatic missions and UN entities enhanced access to intergovernmental organizations and to foster increased engagement between the public and private sectors. Geneva Week included meetings with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as bilateral meetings with a range of national missions, including the United States, Brazil, Ethiopia and Japan. The USCIB delegation was welcomed by the Director General of World Intellectual Property Rights Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry and took part in a series of thematic briefings and discussions with other WIPO officials.

USCIB’s Geneva Week delegation included representatives from AB InBev, Bayer, BIO, Cargill, The Coca-Cola Company, Ferrero, Mastercard, and PepsiCo. USCIB Vice Presidents Norine Kennedy and Mike Michener, Senior Director for Membership Alison Hoiem and Policy and Program Assistant Mia Lauter supported the group in meetings throughout the course of the week.

Members also joined a Geneva Business Dialogue at the World Trade Organization (WTO), hosted by theInternational Chamber of Commerce (ICC), ICC Switzerland and USCIB.  Joining a panel of speakers from the government of Switzerland and the EU Mission were private sector representatives from Nestle, Novartis and Ab InBev to highlight opportunities to create shared value using the SDGs as a framework.

Senior Vice President of Ferrero U.S.A. Gerald Kunde, who also chaired the delegation, was pleased with the outcome. “The USCIB team did an amazing job organizing and executing Geneva Week and the ‘All In’ Roundtable,” said Kunde. “Relationships are at the heart of our business. This year’s program advanced existing relationships, established new ones and greatly enhanced the private sector’s commitment to inclusive multilateralism.”

“Connecting members to key multilateral leaders and representatives of member states in important UN cities like Geneva is a fundamental part of USCIB’s policy work,” said Michener.  “We are very satisfied with the both the level and content of our engagement this week, and grateful to our members for their interest and active participation.”

USCIB will prepare a summary report of USCIB Geneva Week meetings for members and will begin to plan follow-up meetings for relevant committees with the Administration to consider next steps.

Nobody Wins in Escalation of U.S.-China Trade Fight, Says USCIB

Published on May 9, 2019

Washington, D.C., May 8, 2019 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s most successful global companies, appealed to the United States and China to ratchet down their trade fight in the wake of President Trump‘s decision to increase duties on some $200 billion of Chinese exports from 10 percent to 25 percent.

“When the U.S. and China fight, nobody wins, as the past year’s market gyrations, lost deals, and strained diplomatic ties have made abundantly clear,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “American business continues to have major problems with China’s commercial policies, but we simply must find a way to tackle these that doesn’t turn our most competitive companies into collateral damage.”

Robinson continued: “The earlier rounds of tariffs, coupled with China’s retaliatory measures, are already a significant strain on U.S. consumers, and on the economy as a whole. This latest U.S. escalation, and the inevitable Chinese response will impose considerable additional strains on our exporters and on companies, workers and communities that rely on international trade to succeed.”

Robinson urged the Trump administration to work more closely with key U.S. trading partners and with the business community to address serious Chinese trade abuses, including referring U.S. complaints to the World Trade Organization.

“The U.S. has won some important victories, including against discriminatory Chinese practices and policies, in the WTO lately,” he noted. “We should use the multilateral platform as it was intended to be used, to defuse escalating trade tensions, and to end the uncertainty that is rattling markets and fraying the nerves of both business owners and consumers.”

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, generating $5 trillion in annual revenues and employing over 11 million people worldwide. As the U.S. affiliate of several leading international business organizations, 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
jhuneke@uscib.org, +1 212.703.5043

Business Not Bullish on Prospect of New China Tariffs

Published on May 7, 2019

USCIB joined other members of the American for Free Trade coalition to issue a statement to President Trump in response to his announcement on May 3 to increase the China tariffs from 10 to 25 percent, representing a tariff total of $200 billion.

The statement highlighted key figures that indicated the enormous consequences the tariffs would have on the U.S. economy and consumers. According to the statement, not only would this increase result in a loss of nearly one million jobs, but current tariffs already burden consumers with $69 billion in added costs.

“For ten months, Americans have been paying the full cost of the trade war, not China,” read the statement, which referred to the 10 percent of tariffs imposed earlier this year. “To be clear, tariffs are taxes that Americans pay, and this sudden increase with little notice will only punish U.S. farmers, businesses and consumers.”

Eva Hampl, who leads USCIB’s work on China also emphasized: “The tariffs currently imposed on Chinese imports are already a significant strain on the U.S. economy and consumers. An increase on such a broad cross section of industries will exacerbate the negative effects to a degree that will be a significant challenge for companies.”

USCIB Co-Sponsors Reception to Promote OECD Trade Priorities

Published on April 30, 2019
Dominik Kümmerle (Business at OECD), Cliff Sosnow (Business at OECD Trade Committee), Pat Ivory (Ibec, Business at OECD Trade Committee), Eva Hampl (USCIB), Russell Mills (Business at OECD), Julia Nielson (OECD Trade Directorate)

USCIB Senior Director for Trade, Investment and Financial Services Eva Hampl joined global business colleagues from Business at OECD and Irish Business (Ibec) to co-sponsor a reception in Paris on April 25 to officially launch a report “Business at OECD Considerations for Trade and Investment – Priorities for Future OECD Work.” Th event was held in conjunction with the OECD Trade Committee meetings which took place the week of April 22, and built on the report by reinforcing the relationship between Business at OECD and the OECD Trade Committee.

Chair of the OECD Trade Committee Ambassador Didier Chambovey, who serves as head of the Swiss Permanent Mission to the WTO and EFTA, made a few opening remarks at the reception, underlining the importance of the relationship between Business at OECD and the OECD Trade Committee. Pat Ivory, vice chair of the Business at OECD Trade Committee joined Hampl in making a few comments, highlighting issues of importance to Business at OECD and USCIB’s respective economies and business more broadly.

In her remarks, Hampl noted the challenges the global economy is faced with in the midst of so many countries turning inward denouncing globalization and promoting protectionist policies. “In that context, the most effective way to push back is with empirical evidence—on issues like services, global value chains, policies related to national security and the danger of trade restrictive measures such as tariffs or quotas to the global trading system,” said Hampl. “We must look to the future of the global economy; that is why the work that is currently being done on digital trade at the OECD is invaluable to business – all of our companies operate in the digital space and understanding exactly how the digital economy works is key to successfully regulating this space.

While in Paris, Hampl also attended the OECD Trade Committee meetings April 22-26. According to Hampl, while there were many issues on the agenda, the clear focus across the board was on digital trade. “While the OECD does not directly engage in the WTO E-Commerce negotiation, there is a keen awareness the role the analytical work done at the OECD can play in advancing the negotiations at the WTO,” said Hampl. To that end, Business at OECD circulated a paper on what business is looking for in the WTO E-Commerce negotiations and how the OECD can contribute to the effort.

In addition to attending the official sessions of the OECD Trade Committee, where Business at OECD made interventions on the preparations for the Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in May 2019, the Interim Economic Outlook, and Digital Trade, Business at OECD also held its own meeting focused on business priorities. That meeting included an extensive exchange on the Committee’s priorities and next steps where much of the conversation centered on digital trade in its various forms, but also addressed broader issues like China and the state of the global economy. A dinner with OECD leadership also provided a great opportunity to informally exchange views on these important issues.

 

USCIB Meets With WTO Deputy Secretary General Alan Wolff

Published on April 30, 2019
Right: Alan Wolff (WTO) speaks to USCIB members alongside Rob Mulligan (USCIB)

USCIB hosted the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Deputy Secretary General Alan Wolff on April 29 at its Washington office.

The meeting, which was attended by many USCIB members, including Chubb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Visa and Verizon, provided an opportunity for USCIB staff and members to get Wolff’s insights into the current working of the WTO, raise questions about key initiatives such as e-commerce, discuss emerging proposals for reform of the WTO and identify key concerns for U.S. companies on global trade. Wolff began his four-year term as deputy director general in 2017.

“Alan is a leading voice on trade policy in Washington, DC who often participated in the USCIB Trade and Investment Committee meetings and has a long history of working in key trade roles in the government and the private sector,” said USCIB Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs Rob Mulligan. “We look forward to continuing our engagement with him as the WTO reform process gets underway.”

USCIB has been active on WTO reform, voicing concerns many U.S. companies share. Earlier this month, USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly traveled to Sao Paolo, Brazil for a day-long seminar organized by CNI, the Brazilian industry confederation. Donnelly was joined by private-sector groups from Argentina, Brazil, the European Union, and Mexico in a joint statement of the critical importance the WTO is to business.

New OECD Reports Outlines Business Investment Contribution to SDGs

Published on April 24, 2019

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has recently published a report on “The Contribution of International Business Investment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” The report surveys the main type of financing behind business investment in developing countries, recent trends, an evaluation of the contribution of these flows to the SDGs, and prospects going forward.

The report highlights that multinational enterprises (MNEs) have become one of the most important actors for channeling investment to the developing countries. A relatively new actor providing financing for development is the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE). Furthermore, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is one of the primary vehicles that MNEs use to invest in foreign markets and a major component of foreign direct investment. M&A inflows in developing countries starting declining already in 2012.

An increasingly important source of international investment into developing countries is China; in 2017 China doubled its M&A in developing countries to $25 billion, making it their top resource of international M&A (ahead of Japan and the US). Meanwhile, private flows align naturally with the SDGs in the area of infrastructure: SDG 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, and SDG 10 which aims to reduce inequalities.

“The report calls to action for improving the global rules for trade and investment, pursuing domestic policy reform agenda to improve business climates, and addressing new areas of regulatory co-operation,” observed USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl.

The OECD will be organizing a round table on investment and sustainable development on October 23, 2019, as part of the next OECD Investment Week.

USCIB Joins Coalition in Urging Specific US Government Action on US-China Trade

Published on April 23, 2019

USCIB joined Americans for Free Trade, a multi-industry coalition consisting of over 150 members, to send a letter to President Donald Trump on April 22 regarding upcoming U.S.-China trade talks.

The Coalition letter urged the U.S. government to fully and immediately remove all recently imposed tariffs, including U.S. tariffs and China’s retaliatory tariffs as part of a final deal, while also encouraging the U.S. to come up with a deal that levels the playing field for U.S. companies by achieving meaningful changes to address China’s unfair trade practices that put American technology, innovation and intellectual property at risk.

Regarding unfair trade practices, the letter stated: “For too long, China has engaged in unfair trading practices, including forced technology transfer, cyber theft, intellectual property violations and more. We hope any final deal will resolve the structural issues that are at the core of the trade dispute in order to fully protect American technology, innovation, and intellectual property.”

The letter also urged the government to avoid any enforcement mechanism that would trigger further tariffs and obtain clarity on how the tariff exemption process will be carried out in the event of a deal.

Finally, the group also urged an economic assessment by the Administration examining the costs of tariffs for American businesses and consumers.

Americans for Free Trade represents companies that employ tens of millions of American workers and provide goods and services to virtually every corner of the United States.

Donnelly Returns to State as “Economic Leadership” Panelist  

Published on April 16, 2019
L-R: Manisha Singh (US Department of State); Charles Rivkin (Motion Picture Association of America); Shaun Donnelly (USCIB)

USCIB Vice President for Investment Policy and Financial Services Shaun Donnelly was invited back to the Department of State last week as a featured panelist at the annual “Economic Leadership Day,” session, organized by the three bureaus at State working primarily on economic issues.

Prior to joining USCIB in 2011, Donnelly led a long career as a Department of State Foreign Service Officer and held several senior State Department economic positions including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business (“EB”) Affairs, which is the third highest ranking economic policy post at the Department, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary (“DAS”) for Trade Policy, DAS for International Energy Policy and Economic Sanctions and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.

At last week’s session, Donnelly joined President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America Charlie Rivkin, who is the former EB Assistant Secretary and former U.S. Ambassador to France, on a panel moderated by Assistant Secretary of State Manisha Singh.  The panel, entitled “Don’t Stagnate, Innovate!” featured Donnelly and Rivkin offering advice to and answering questions from economic officers across the Department on lessons from the private sector for Department officers. In his wrap-up remarks, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan underlined his and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s strong support for economic policy work and commercial advocacy on behalf of U.S. business as top priorities of the Department of State.

“I was honored to join Ambassador Rivkin and Assistant Secretary Manisha Singh on a free-wheeling panel at State’s Economic Leadership Day,” said Donnelly. I’ve spent the bulk of my professional career doing economic policy work at the State Department so these issues of the roles of the Department of State and the people there doing economic work are near and dear to my heart.  I really enjoyed the exchanges and the follow-up private conversations, especially with younger State Department officers with long careers ahead.  Anything we at USCIB can do to promote more interactions, better coordination between the Department and leading U.S. firms is to everyone’s benefit. I commend Assistant Secretary Singh and her team for an excellent event.”

USCIB Participates in UNCTAD E-Commerce Week in Geneva

Published on April 9, 2019
USCIB Senior Director Eva Hampl

Last week, USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl attended E-Commerce Week hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. The theme of the week was “From Digitalization to Development” and included over 1400 participants from government, private sector, and civil society from around the world. Many of the thematic sessions addressed negotiations of an e-Commerce agreement expected to begin soon at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Seventy-six WTO members, accounting for 90% of global trade in electronic commerce, endorsed the negotiation of a high-standard agreement in January of 2019 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. USCIB supports these negotiations and is looking forward to a high-standard outcome on digital trade issues affecting business.

The UNCTAD meetings also included several sessions of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce and the Digital Economy, which Hampl joined as a member of the Digital Trade Network (DTN), making substantive contributions on issues of data flows and localization policies.

“Given the broad UN membership, there continues to be push-back from certain countries to UNCTAD engaging on this issue,” reported Hampl. “UNCTAD leadership, however, made it clear in various meetings that there is broad support for negotiations on electronic commerce moving ahead at the WTO, and on general work on digital trade moving forward. This positive momentum is also shared by the WTO, where the work is progressing, and expected to move forward this year.”