Tariffs and Trade Wars: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here?
Keynote Address – Ambassador Rufus Yerxa
Do you need someone to put all of these trade issues into a global context? Rufus Yerxa is a former Deputy US Trade Representative, under both a Republican and Democratic President, and currently serves as the President of the National Foreign Trade Council. He is a lawyer, and has been a diplomat, US trade negotiator, congressional staff director, and an international trade official, serving as the Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ambassador Yerxa will sort through the international trade issues impacting the US economy, including Trump’s trade actions, NAFTA renegotiation, retaliatory actions by our trading partners along with WTO challenges, and US relations with our allies and adversaries.
Section 232 Steel Tariff Panel
The US imposition of 25% tariffs, worldwide, on imports of Carbon, Alloy and Stainless Wire Rod and Drawn Wire has injected market chaos into the supply chain. These experts have been monitoring and taking action, since before the tariffs were imposed. Come hear their perspectives on where we are in September:
- Jennifer Baker Reid – President, The Laurin Baker Group
- John Guzik – Founding Partner, The Franklin Partnership LLC
These experienced government affairs specialists – Jennifer Reid, lobbyist for the Industrial Fasteners Institute, and John Guzik, whose firm lobbies for four other downstream trade associations – will discuss the prospects for legislation being offered by Congress to address tariffs imposed by the Administration. You will hear how other associations in the steel fabricating sector are addressing these important issues.
- Laura Baughman – Founder, The Trade Partnership
Laura Baughman’s Economic Firm has issued the premier policy paper identifying the impact of tariffs and retaliation on the US economy. Laura’s firm also provides industry economic data to members of the AWPA.
- John Foster – President, American Institute for International Steel (AIIS)
John Foster, also an AWPA member company representative from Kurt Orban Partners, will discuss the lawsuit which has been filed by AIIS, challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s tariffs.
- George Felcyn - Senior Director, Policy Resolution Group, Bracewell LLC
George Felcyn has been dealing with trade issues from a communications perspective for many years, including AD/CVD cases. He is currently working with the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users, which opposes tariffs which threaten American jobs and global competitiveness.
Mid-term Election Update
David Wasserman, House Editor for The Cook Political Report
A shake up in Congress could have a major effect on the Trump Administration. Will there be a “blue wave” this fall? Will Republicans capitalize on tax reform and Supreme Court appointments? What will the House and Senate look like in 2019? We have an expert political prognosticator to provide the latest information, and his crystal ball projections. David Wasserman is responsible for handicapping and analyzing US House Races. The New York Times has called The Cook Political Report "a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative." The Los Angeles Times has called David a "whip smart" and "scrupulously nonpartisan" analyst whose "numbers nerddom was foretold at a young age." In 2016, David drew praise for his accurate pre-election analysis, including his piece "How Trump Could Win the White House While Losing the Popular Vote," written two months before the election. He’s a skilled speaker - don’t miss the latest information on the mid-terms, just a few weeks before Election Day.