Washington International Trade Conference, Monday, Feb 8th and Tuesday, Feb 9th 2021

Honorary Conference Co-Chairs

Ambassador Susan Schwab & Ambassador Michael Froman

The Washington International Trade Conference will bring together leaders in international trade from across the U.S. and around the world to explore the trade landscape and look toward the future of trade.

Together, we will debate and discuss the most important issues affecting international trade, investment and supply chains to help you navigate U.S. and global trade policy.

WITA is Washington’s premier trade forum. It is the largest non-profit, non-partisan organization in the world dedicated to providing a neutral forum for open and robust discussion of international trade issues.

Attendees will be able to hear from trade leaders and learn about key issues driving U.S. and international trade policy. Sponsors will get visibility for their brand or firm with trade leaders from across governments (U.S. and International), embassies, business, law, academia, and trade practitioners from across industries and sectors.

Agenda

Monday, February 8

1:00 PM: US-China Relations

Moderator: Wendy Cutler, President and Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute, former acting Deputy USTR

Aaron L. Friedberg, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University

Ambassador Kurt Tong, Partner, the Asia Group, and former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs

Susan Shirk, Chair, 21st Century China Center and Research Professor, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

2:00 PM ET: Trade & Environmental Sustainability

Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President & CEO, C&M International; former Deputy United States Trade Representative

Ambassador Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Madelaine Tuininga, European Commission, DG Trade Head of Unit for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal

Himamauli Das, Senior Managing Director, K2 Integrity, and former Senior Director for International Trade and Investment, National Security Council

3:00 PM: Finding a Way Forward on Digital Trade

Moderator: Arrow Augerot, Director, Americas Public Policy, Amazon

Peter Swire, Holder Chair of of Law and Ethics, Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business; Senior Counsel, Alston & Bird, LLP

Jason Oxman, President & CEO, Information Technology Industry Council

Sahra English, Vice President, Public Policy, Mastercard

4:00 PM: Ambassadors Trade Roundtable

Moderator: Ambassador Susan Schwab, Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP Professor Emerita, University of Maryland

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Ambassador to the United States of America

Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America

Ambassador Nestor Forster, Brazil’s Ambassador to the United States of America

Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, British Ambassador to the United States of America

5:00 PM: Day One Conference Close

Tuesday, February 9

9:00 AM: Revitalization and Reform of the WTO with WTO Deputy Director General Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff

Featured Remarks by Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director General of the WTO, and Co-Acting Director General

Discussion with:

Kenneth Levinson, Executive Director, Washington International Trade Association

Terence Stewart, former Managing Partner, Law Offices of Stewart and Stewart, and author of the blog, Current Thoughts on Trade

9:30 AM-10:15 AM: Discussion: Revitalization and Reform of the WTO

Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, President of the National Foreign Trade Council and former Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization

Simon Evenett, Professor of International Trade and Economic Development and MBA Director, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland

Jennifer Hillman, Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy, Council on Foreign Relations

Hiddo Houben, Deputy Permanent Representative, EU Mission to the WTO

10:15 AM: What does a Neo-Progressive Trade Agenda look like?

Moderator: Catherine Novelli, President, Listening for America, former Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment

Beth Baltzan, Founder, American Phoenix Trade Advisory Service and formerly with USTR and the House Ways & Means Committee

Catherine Feingold, Director, AFL-CIO International Department

Katrin Kuhlmann, President and Founder, New Markets Lab, and Visiting Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

Kimberley Botwright, Community Lead, Global Trade and Investment, World Economic Forum

11:15 AM: Closing Keynote and Discussion: Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal

Rep. Richard Neal, Chairman, House Ways & Means Committee

Discussion with Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, and President of the Board, Washington International Trade Association

12:00 PM: Conference Close