News Stories Archives

Pamela Bates Nominated as US Ambassador to OECD

Published on October 16, 2018
Pamela Bates
Photo source: Securitas Global Risk Solutions

On September 24, President Donald Trump officially nominated Pamela Bates to be next U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bates would replace Ambassador Daniel Yohannes, who departed the post in January 2017.  In the interim the U.S. Mission to the OECD had been capably led, first, by Peter Haas, and currently by Andrew Havilland as Chargé d’Affaires.

Bates is awaiting a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bates has considerable experience as a State Department Foreign Service Officer (FSO) specializing in economic policy work and including a tour of duty on the staff of the U.S. Mission to the OECD which she is now being nominated to head.  USCIB CEO and President Peter Robinson welcomed her nomination.  “We at USCIB are delighted to see the nomination of an experienced economic policy maker to be the next U.S. Ambassador at the OECD,” said Robinson. “USCIB works closely with the OECD as the sole U.S. business affiliate of the OECD’s Business and Industry Advisory Committee (Business at OECD).  We and our member companies have worked closely with previous U.S. ambassadors and their staffs and look forward to continuing that close cooperation with Pamela Bates once she is confirmed and on the job in Paris.”

USCIB Vice President for Investment Policy and Financial Services Shaun Donnelly, himself a retired State Department economic officer and former Ambassador, added, “I’ve known Pam Bates from our time together at the State Department and am confident she’ll do an excellent job representing our Government at the OECD and leading the U.S. Mission.  She comes to this important post well prepared.”

Bates served for 24 years as a career member of the United States Foreign Service before assuming her current role as a partner at Securitas Global Risk Solutions in Wayne, Pennsylvania, in 2017.  While with the State Department, Bates’ assignments included service as deputy director of the Economic and Commercial Studies Division for the National Foreign Affairs Training Institute in Arlington, Virginia, and as the senior energy advisor at the United States Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, France.  She also served in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.  Ms. Bates earned her AB degree from Bowdoin College, her MA from John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  She speaks French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

At B20, Argentina’s President Notes Crucial Role of Business

Published on October 9, 2018
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri
The annual B20 process provides a platform for the international business community to participate in global economic governance.
The set of actionable recommendations will be submitted for consideration by heads of state at the G20 Summit in late November.

 

Argentina hosted the B20 Summit October 4-5 in Argentina, gathering business leaders of B20, government representatives and members of international organizations. Among them was International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General John Denton. Denton led a high-level panel on “Infrastructure + Energy: Two powerhouses for development”.

The annual summit, organised this year under the stewardship of G20 host country Argentina, provided an opportunity for Denton and selected business leaders to meet with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, who addressed the group at the Casa Rosada Museum in Buenos Aires.

Formally receiving the group’s recommendations to G20 leaders during the closing session of the Summit, Macri said, “Global solutions require the commitment and action not only of governments but also of all the sectors of society, including the business community. Companies are important in the process of dialogue and consensus building.”

The set of actionable recommendations will be submitted for consideration by heads of state at the G20 Summit in late November.

The annual B20 process provides a significant platform for the international business community to participate in global economic governance, and supports the work of the G20 by hosting focused policy discussions and developing recommendations geared towards strong, sustainable and balanced growth in the global economy.

Hampl Voices China Concerns in Public Testimony

Published on October 9, 2018
USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl provided testimony on October 3 to the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee.
Hampl took the opportunity to speak about China 301 tariffs, noting how disruptive they are to U.S. business.

Following USCIB’s submission to the annual request by USTR for comments on China’s compliance with WTO commitments and notice of public hearing, USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl provided testimony on October 3 to the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC).

The interagency panel was chaired by USTR and included officials from the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, State, Agriculture and Labor. The questions from the panel addressed the cybersecurity law, addressing ICT products and services as well as data flow restrictions, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), anti-monopoly law (AML) enforcement, trade secrets, agricultural biotechnology, and the import ban on recyclable materials.

“USCIB has consistently identified a number of key areas of concern, including market access, standards, transparency, subsidies, competition policy, technology transfer, and national and economic security issues,” noted Hampl during her testimony. “While small steps are occasionally made in a market opening direction, overall China appears to be ramping up its protectionism. These issues affect many U.S. sectors, including agricultural biotechnology, audiovisual, chemicals, electronic payment services, express delivery services, recoverable materials, software, and telecommunications.”

Hampl also took the opportunity to speak about the China 301 tariffs noting how disruptive they are to U.S. business. “Extensive tariff actions do not show any indication that they will in fact resolve the underlying issues and change China’s behavior regarding intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer,” warned Hampl. “In addition, as our submission lays out, there are many more issues beyond those that need to be addressed. Accordingly, high-level dialogues between the United States and China continue to be of the utmost importance.”

USCIB also submitted extensive written comments.

Donnelly Talks Trade and EU at Chautauqua

Published on October 2, 2018

USCIB Vice President for Investment and Financial Services Shaun Donnelly is serving as a speaker at a week-long Foreign Policy seminar at the historic Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York.  The biannual Foreign Policy seminar is  a joint effort of the Chautauqua Institution, the “Road Scholar” continuing education program, and the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).

Donnelly, a retired U.S. diplomat, former Ambassador, and senior trade negotiator, is a long-time AFSA member.  In Chautauqua the week of October 1, he will be one of six experienced U.S. diplomats leading discussion sessions.

Donnelly will talk on two topics of interest of USCIB and its member companies – “U.S. Trade Policy in the Trump Era” and “The U.S. and the European Union – Partners? Rivals? Or Both?”

International Business Magazine: Fall/Summer 2018

Published on October 2, 2018

The Summer/Fall 2018 issue of USCIB’s quarterly International Business magazine is available here. The issue features a timely column by USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson titled, “The Myth of Private-Sector ‘Conflict of Interest’ at the UN. The issue also features news stories on how tariffs harm companies and consumers, tax reform impacts, and reinforcing US-China tie, plus news from our global network–Business at OECD, the International Organization of Employers and the International Chamber of Commerce.

“International Business,” USCIB’s quarterly journal, provides essential insight into major trade and investment topics, a high-level overview of USCIB policy advocacy and services, USCIB member news and updates from our global business network.

Subscribe to USCIB’s International Business Magazine

Subscriptions to “International Business” are available free upon request to representatives of USCIB member organizations. Contact us to subscribe.

Non-members may subscribe to “International Business” and other USCIB print publications at an annual rate of $50 (U.S.) for domestic delivery, or $75 for overseas delivery. Contact us to subscribe. USCIB’s annual report, studies from the United States Council Foundation and related publications are included with your paid subscription.

Our free electronic newsletter, “International Business Weekly,” provides regular updates on USCIB’s major activities and priorities. Click here to view a sample issue. Click here to subscribe.

We welcome outside submissions and inquiries regarding our publications – send them to news@uscib.org.

We welcome advertising in International Business magazine — special discounted rates for USCIB member organizations! Contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org) for more information.

 

Op-Ed Dispels Myths of Business “Conflict of Interest” at UN

Published on September 25, 2018

As the annual United Nations General Assembly is underway in New York this week and next, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson contributed a timely op-ed in The Hill, titled “UN’s private-sector phobia prevents if from hitting its lofty goals.”

“It is increasingly evident that the international community is not on track to deliver the expected results under the Paris Agreement (as well as the broader U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change) or the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals,” writes Robinson. “So why, at a moment when governments and international organizations should be actively seeking ways to encourage business to step up, is the private sector being accused of having a ‘conflict of interest’ or of actively seeking to upend global consensus?”

Robinson points out that accusations of conflict of interest are rampant across UN agencies, including the World Health Organization and in the context of the UN climate talks. He then outlines six “myths” about business influence in international policy-making and dispels them one by one.

To read the full op-ed, please visit The Hill.

 

USCIB Contributes to Setting Principles in APEC Transit Guidelines

Published on September 25, 2018

USCIB represented industry at a workshop that was organized by Chilean Customs addressing Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transit Guidelines. USCIB Director Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin attended the workshop which was held in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, September 11 – 12, 2018.

Giblin participated in a panel with Chilean and Chinese Customs as well as World Customs Organization (WCO) representatives addressing the challenges and gaps on implementation of the APEC Customs Transit Guidelines. Overall the event was well attended and included participants from several APEC economies, including Chile, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and Vietnam, as well as a handful of domestic Chilean industry representatives.

“USCIB participation in this event was critical in providing industry inputs into the process and is consistent with our longstanding engagement and leadership on customs and trade facilitation matters within APEC,” said Giblin. “The dialogue resulted in a positive discussion and general consensus on the ‘guidelines.’ These ‘guidelines’ are now viewed as ‘guiding principles’ and next steps among all parties, as well as secured a path forward for this issue as Chile takes on the APEC presidency in 2019.”

 

USCIB Voices Concerns With China’s WTO Commitments

Published on September 24, 2018

As part of the annual request by the U.S. Trade Representative for comments on China’s compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments and notice of public hearing, USCIB submitted comments on September 21 reflecting USCIB members’ feedback and concerns. Since China acceded to the WTO in 2001, while progress has been made in some areas, there still remain significant WTO obligation compliance concerns.

USCIB’s submission highlights concerns that arise in selected horizontal areas that transcend industry sectors, including IT security measures, China’s antimonopoly law, intellectual property rights, market access, national treatment and non-discrimination, the regulatory environment, standards, state-owned enterprises, customs and trade facilitation, taxation, labor laws, certification, licensing, and testing barriers. USCIB’s submission also addresses issues related to specific industry sectors that face problems in China, including agricultural biotechnology, audiovisual, chemicals, electronic payment access, express delivery services, recoverable materials, software, and telecommunications.

“On China’s fulfillment of its WTO obligations, USCIB acknowledges the efforts China has made since joining the WTO in 2001 to meet its obligations under the terms of its accession agreement,” said USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl, who leads USCIB’s work on China. “However, there still remain significant WTO obligation compliance concerns. USCIB notes that its member concerns extend beyond those discussed in this paper, including government procurement; until China officially accedes to and implements the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), government procurement program concerns remain among USCIB members.”

A public hearing to discuss these issues is scheduled to take place on October 3, 2018. Hampl will be testifying and highlighting the most urgent issues to U.S. industry.

USCIB Salutes Retiring US Diplomat Ted Allegra

Published on September 21, 2018
Ted Allegra
Photo credit: U.S. Mission photo Dominique Nicolas

Last week, senior U.S. diplomat Ted Allegra retired after 27 years in the State Department’s Foreign Service.  USCIB has worked closely with Ted Allegra over the past five years, through his service first as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs at the State Department and since 2015 as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.  As the representative of U.S. business to the broad network of UN agencies and international organizations headquartered in Geneva, USCIB works closely with senior officials at the Department of State and in U.S. Missions to international organizations.

“Allegra has consistently been a tower of strength and a good friend of USCIB and U.S. business,” noted USCIB Vice President for Investment and Financial Services Shaun Donnelly, who is also a former diplomat. In his final 18 months in Geneva, in the absence of a U.S. Ambassador, Allegra, as Chargé d’Affaires (effectively Acting U.S. Ambassador), carried the full responsibility of leading that important Mission, representing the U.S. Government to nearly two dozen Geneva-based international organizations.

Allegra is capping a very distinguished Foreign Service career.  In addition to his final five years focusing on the United Nations and international organization issues, Allegra served with distinction earlier as Deputy Executive Secretary of the State Department, as Deputy Chief of Mission (#2 U.S. diplomat) in the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia, and as the Department’s  Deputy Coordinator for Counter-terrorism.  Earlier in his career, Allegra served in U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Pakistan, Philippines and Cambodia.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson was effusive in his praise of Allegra. “Ted has been a fantastic partner for USCIB and for American business,” said Robinson. “Since Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto’s departure in January 2017, Ted has done a great job leading the U.S. Mission in Geneva.  We’ve worked with him on a range of challenging issues arising in the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Telecommunications Union and several other UN bodies and agencies.  Ted has always been available to meet with USCIB and our member companies, has listened to and understood our concerns and proposals, and has helped us find solutions.  When we took our first-ever official senior delegation of USCIB member companies to Geneva earlier this  year, Ted was incredibly generous with his time and wise in his advice.  I’ve worked with a lot of very senior U.S. Government diplomats in my career at USCIB and Ted Allegra is one of the very best.  We are sorry to see him leave the U.S. Mission in Geneva and the Foreign Service but we wish him well in future endeavors.  He leaves behind in Geneva both an impressive legacy and some big shoes to fill.”

 

USCIB Decries Further Escalation of China Tariffs

Published on September 18, 2018
“American companies and consumers are already feeling the impact of earlier tariffs. The administration’s latest moves will only make matters worse.”

Washington, D.C., September 17, 2018 – Responding to the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on an additional $200 billion of Chinese imports, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s most competitive global companies, issued the following statement:

“American business reiterates its call for the U.S. and China to take immediate steps to de-escalate their trade conflict, which risks upending financial markets and doing lasting damage to the U.S. and global economies.

“As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the recent U.S. public hearings on these tariffs, American companies and consumers are already feeling the impact of earlier tariffs, in the form of rising costs and operational disruptions. The administration’s latest moves will only make matters worse.

“While we support efforts to compel China to change its discriminatory trade practices negatively affecting U.S. companies, these new tariffs are unlikely to achieve such a goal, as we fully expect the Chinese government to retaliate, with American consumers and small businesses bearing a significant portion of the cost.

“We continue to believe that a better solution is for the United States and its trading partners to apply concerted pressure to address China’s unfair trading behavior, especially via the WTO, in ways that do not place the primary burden on America’s consumers, workers, farmers and companies.”

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