WITA Webinars

As governments increasingly rely on tariffs, customs measures, and regulatory tools for economic and national security goals, viewers joined our WITA webinar for a 10,000-foot view of the shifting customs landscape. This includes the Administration’s recent customs Executive Order and the broader shift from compliance toward enforcement and implementation.
Our speakers unpacked evolving agency roles and new border requirements, examining these issues within a broader global context. The discussion explored what these shifts mean for companies navigating increasingly complex supply chains, rising enforcement priorities, and emerging updates shaping near-term compliance and border requirements.

Featured Speakers:

Joshua Aikens, Head of Government Affairs, Zonos

Blake Harden, Managing Director, Washington Council Ernst & Young; former Trade Counsel on the House Ways & Means Committee; and former Senior Attorney in the Office of the Chief Counsel at US Customs and Border Protection

Sydney Mintzer, Partner, Customs, International Trade, Supply Chain & Distribution, Mayer Brown LLP 

Moderator: Felicia Pullam, Senior Director, Geo-Commerce, APCO Worldwide; former Executive Director, Office of Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

At this WITA Zoom webinar, our speakers discussed how AI‑enabled digital trade platforms are expanding global market access for U.S. businesses, how AI is lowering barriers to exporting and transforming supply chains—and why digital trade, technology investment, and smart trade policy are critical to U.S. exports and job creation.Featured Remarks:Bill Guidera, Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Engagement, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of CommercePanel Discussion:Zach Fishbain, Chief Executive Officer, Spread The Love LLCScott Jacobs, Head of Global Public Policy, CoupangKristin Najdi, Senior Director of Trade Policy, Information Technology Industry CouncilBrian Scarpelli, Senior Global Policy Counsel, Association for Competitive Technology (ACT)Moderator: Scott Friedman, Vice President, Government Affairs, Altana

On Thursday, May 28, WITA convened the agriculture community from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to discuss how USMCA is working in practice, key challenges, and priorities as the review process continues.

Featured Speakers:

John Bode, President & CEO, Corn Refiners Association

Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, International Food Policy Research Institute

Sergio Gómez Lora, CEO, Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council

Michael Harvey, Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance

Moderator: Darci Vetter, Vice President of Public Affairs, Driscoll’s; former Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

At this Zoom event, speakers discussed the importance of the U.S. – Mexico -Canada Agreement to the U.S. automotive sector.  How has the Agreement succeeded in meeting its goals of driving greater investment in manufacturing and jobs in the U.S.? What has it meant for employment across the sector, and in bringing automotive supply chains back to the region.  Speakers will also discuss where improvements could be made as part of the review, including how to modernize the Agreement for the U.S. to better compete with China.

Featured Speakers:

Matt Blunt, President, American Automotive Policy Council

Cody Lusk, President and CEO, American International Automobile Dealers Association

Paul McCarthy, President & CEO, MEMA – the Vehicle Suppliers Association

Jennifer Safavian, President & CEO, Autos Drive America

Moderator: Arun Venkataraman, Partner, Covington; former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service

On April 2nd, 2025 President Trump Announced his “Liberation Day” Tariffs and to paraphrase Hamilton (the musical, not the statesman) the world of trade turned upside-down. This webinar, WITA welcomed back the Trade Reporters to discuss this monumental year in trade.

Featured Speakers:

Shawn Donnan, Senior Writer, Bloomberg

David Lynch, Global Economics Correspondent, The Washington Post

Ana Swanson, Trade and International Economics Correspondent, New York Times

Koen Verhelst, Trade Reporter, POLITICO Europe

Moderator: Michael Smart, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors; former Director for International Trade and Investment, National Security Council, The White House

Thank you for joining WITA for a unique pop-up industry briefing live streamed from the World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Featured Speakers Live in Yaoundé:

Alice Slayton Clark, Senior VP of Trade, Investment and Digital Policy, United States Council for International Business

Isabelle Icso, Executive Director, International Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Special Online Guests:

Angela Ellard, Senior Advisor (non-resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies; former Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Maria Pagan, former Deputy United States Trade Representative, and United States Ambassador to the WTO

Thank you for joining WITA International for this virtual panel during the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) European Conference on Tuesday, March 24 at 9:30 AM ET / 2:30 PM CET which discussed “The European Approach to Dealing with Trade Uncertainty.”

Experts discussed developments in European trade policy and regulatory trends that shape the global business environment.

Featured Speakers:

Welcome by Crystal Eden, Executive Director-Member Services, World Trade Centers Association

Introduction by Kenneth I. Levinson, Chief Executive Officer, WITA – The International Trade Association

Anna Jerzewska, Founder, Trade & Borders

Kate Kalutkiewicz, Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates

Eveline Kolk, Managing Director, World Trade Centers The Hague and Rotterdam

Atli Stannard, Special Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP Brussels

Moderator: Penny Naas, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Competitiveness, German Marshall Fund of the United States

As WTO Members prepare for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon this March, WITA International hosted a global webinar series: WTO Matters. The series explored the core functions of the WTO, reforms needed to keep the institution effective and relevant, and the key policy issues shaping debates.The WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC 14) takes place in Cameroon from March 26 to 29. To conclude WITA’s WTO Matters Series, on March 17th we discuss key issues on the MC 14 agenda, including the moratorium on duties for electronic transmissions and efforts to more fully integrate small economies into the multilateral trading system. Panelists will also discussed a post-MC 14 work-plan on WTO reform, and how the organization stays relevant in a time of volatility and uncertainty.Featuring:Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade OrganizationPanel Discussion:Jake Colvin, President, National Foreign Trade Council; Executive Director, Global Innovation Forum Cecilia Malmström, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; former European Commissioner for TradePenny Naas, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Competitiveness, German Marshall Fund of the United StatesAmbassador Tan Hung Seng, Singapore Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO and WIPO, Permanent Mission of SingaporeModerator: Angela Ellard, Senior Advisor (non-resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies; former Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

As WTO Members prepare for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon this March, WITA International is hosting a new global webinar series: WTO Matters. The series explores the core functions of the WTO, reforms needed to keep the institution effective and relevant, and the key policy issues shaping debates.

The March 5th discussion initiated conversation of how the WTO can help promote trade and development through the use of AI and digital technologies; the WTO’s Work Programme on E-Commerce; and the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions (the “e-commerce Moratorium”).

Featured Speakers:

Ambassador James Baxter, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the WTO; Co-Convenor of the WTO’s Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce

Christine Bliss, President, Coalition of Services Industries (CSI); former Assistant USTR for Services, Investment, Telecommunication, and E-Commerce

Ambassador Richard Brown, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the WTO, and Facilitator of the WTO’s Work Programme on Electronic Commerce

Johanna Hill, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Moderator: Angela Ellard, Senior Advisor (non-resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies; former Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Featured Speakers:Roberto Azevêdo, President, 9G Consulting; former Director-General, World Trade OrganizationModerator: Angela Ellard, Senior Advisor (non-resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies; former Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization