Trade and Investment Archives

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. 

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.

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.

_

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.

New York, New York, August 10, 2026—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) congratulates Todd Steggarda on his confirmation as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva. Prior to this appointment, Steggarda was Deputy Managing Partner for Strategic Development at McGuireWoods. 

As the sole US business organization with official status in UN agencies and other international organizations, USCIB is an important partner for the US government in UN discussions on digital policy, taxation, trade and investment, UN reform, and more. USCIB is dedicated to ensuring that the voice of business is heard in global policymaking, especially at the UN level. Ongoing UN negotiations on global issues impact our members’ supply chains and bottom lines, with increasing expectations on American companies.  

“USCIB welcomes Todd Steggarda as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva,” said Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB. “The Geneva-based UN agencies are responsible for technical standards that are essential to successful business and international cooperation. We look forward to working with Ambassador Steggarda and his staff. The private sector has a unique opportunity to help strengthen UN effectiveness and resilience in the years to come.” 

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.  

USCIB Vice Chair Rick Johnston (Chair of Business at OECD (BIAC), Chair of USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee; Managing Director for Global Government Affairs at Citi), Courtney Smothers (Deputy Assistant USTR for Latin America), Sarah Schradin (VP Government Affairs at Chubb; Vice Chair of USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee), Alice Slayton Clark​​.

Courtney Smothers, Deputy Assistant USTR for Latin America, was the featured speaker at this week’s USCIB Trade and Investment Committee quarterly meeting, briefing members on the current US Latin America trade strategy. Members also received updates from Valerie Picard, Head of Trade at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), on latest developments on WTO reform, ICC advocacy papers on plurilateral negotiations, transparency, and critical raw materials, and opportunities for USCIB members at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum in September.   

Rick Johnston (Citi, USCIB Vice Chair, Chair of the USCIB Trade, and Investment Committee) and Sarah Schradin (Chubb, Vice Chair of the USCIB Trade and Investment Committee) opened the meeting with welcoming remarks.  

Trade and Investment Committee meeting

Members shared views on USCIB engagement with the Administration on recent tariff actions and the renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President for Trade, Investment, and Digital Policy, discussed USCIB programming and speaking opportunities for the WTO Public Forum in Geneva and for the October 2026 OECD Trade Week in Paris.   

USCIB members and staff participated in the Trade Over Aid (TOA) Forum in New York on July 13. Based on the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s vision of development that is based on economic growth, the initiative shifts emphasis from government-to-government development grants to mutually beneficial commercial partnerships with business by removing barriers to investment. Rooted in five principles and engagement with over 40 UN member states, the Forum brought together over 250 government representatives, the private sector, and UN agencies.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz and Baird.

Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB, met with US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, highlighting her appreciation for the event and the importance of having a new UN Secretary General with a real commitment to strong engagement with business to deliver for member states.

Norine Kennedy, Whitney Baird, Emine Shinjatari, and Brianna Healy.

USCIB board member Chris Sharrock (Microsoft) delivered the keynote address, while USCIB board members J.B. Simko (PMI) and Sarah Thorn (Walmart) and member Kenan Arkan (JPMorgan) spoke on a panel in the East Asia and Pacific breakout session. Board member Julia Spencer (MSD) and member Howie Wachtel (Microsoft) spoke on a panel at the Europe breakout session. Norine Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Global Strategy and UN Affairs at USCIB, was also on hand.

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.

Lauren Baldwin (USTR), Sarah Schradin (Chubb, USCIB Trade and Investment Committee Co-Chair), Elizabeth Duncan, Kristin Najdi (ITI), Christine Gomes (Caterpillar), Samantha Ayoub (International Fresh Produce Association), Joe Sullivan (USTR), Bill Guidera (US Department of Commerce), Rick Johnston (Citi, Chair of BIAC, Vice Chair of USCIB, Chair of USCIB Trade and Investment Committee), Cheryl Miller, Alice Slayton Clark, John Hughes (Coupang), Sahra English (Citi), Jonathan McHale (CCIA).

Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Engagement at the International Trade Administration Bill Guidera and United States Trade Representative (USTR) Senior Director for Policy Joe Sullivan briefed USCIB members on the US G20 Presidency.

The United States is hosting the G20 this year, offering US companies a unique opportunity to drive outcomes on the four key workstreams: innovation, trade, energy and critical minerals, as well as finance and deregulation.

The G20 is important to USCIB members because it is comprised of the largest economies in the world, representing 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population.

USCIB delegation at UN Headquarters in New York

Building on the success of USCIB’s annual Geneva Week, USCIB held a “mini” New York UN Week June 9-11 to strengthen lines of communication between the private sector and key UN agencies and missions based in New York. Discussions focused on UN80 Reform, the upcoming UN High Level Week, the Post 2030 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, business access to the UN, and new Secretary General candidates and the selection process.

The USCIB delegation, which included member representatives from AB InBev, American Chemistry Council, BAT, DIAGEO, E&Y, Ferrero, HP, Kenvue, and Microsoft visited UN missions, including Argentina, Albania, Brazil, France, Italy, Jamaica, Namibia, Norway, and the United States. The delegation also meet with senior representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).

USCIB delegation with US Ambassador Dan Negrea at the US Mission to the UN

Notably, the delegation had the unique opportunity to engage directly with key representatives and co-facilitators of major intergovernmental processes, including those leading discussions on the Pact for the Future, UN80 reform workstreams, and the High Level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration. These exchanges offered valuable insight into the evolving direction of multilateral priorities and reform efforts at a critical juncture for the UN system.

USCIB delegation at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York

Engagements with the United States Mission to the UN further enabled a constructive exchange on US perspectives on multilateral engagement, including evolving approaches such as “Trade Over Aid” and the implications for private sector participation in UN processes.

Across all meetings, discussions underscored a shared interest in strengthening structured and practical collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector, recognizing the important role of business in supporting implementation, innovation, and investment in advancing global priorities.