WIIT
Programs Update
Eugenia
Iankova Ross
Vice President of Programs
In May, WIIT marked the completion of another successful year for our organization's activities. Throughout the 2004-2005 year, WIIT hosted numerous substantive events with steadily expanding attendance and visibility. I am pleased to report that the quality and value of our programs in terms of both substantive information and networking opportunities continues to increase. Among the most successful events held by WIIT in the past year were:
A discussion of "Trade
and Development in the Western Hemisphere" in 2004 and 2005.
In the current WIIT year, we have a great slate of volunteers working on exciting
programs for the coming months. We could always use volunteers to assist section
chairs, as well as to help with larger events (such as Membership Socials
and WIIT-Wide lunches/breakfasts) on an ad-hoc basis. If you would like to
get involved with WIIT's programming, please do not hesitate to contact me
at eross@itta.com. I look forward to another successful year of WIIT-sponsored
activities, and hope to see many familiar and new faces at our events!
Recent WIIT Event Highlights:
The Plenary Session Of The 16th U.S.-China Joint Commission On Commerce And Trade (JCCT) Was Held In Beijing
On July 11, 2005,the 16th JCCT built on successes achieved at the 15th JCCT and realized new progress on key U.S. systemic trade concerns. This event was Co-Chaired on the Chinese side by Vice Premier Wu Yi and on the U.S. side by Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and USTR Rob Portman, with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns playing an important role. The JCCT has proven to be a useful forum for engagement on matters of serious bilateral concern, and has delivered real and meaningful results for American businesses, workers, and farmers.
Trade Preference Erosion and the Doha Round: Will Developing Countries Really Be Worse Off
On July 13th, the Legislative Initiatives Section hosted a brown bag with ITC economist Dr. Judith Dean on the effect of trade preference erosion on the developing world. Dr. Dean described the various U.S. preference programs already in place, including ATPA, CBERA or CBI, AGOA, and GSP, explained how they worked and how their erosion through the Doha negotiations might affect developing countries' exports of non-agricultural goods. She concluded that the impact of preference erosion will depend on a country's utilization of the preference and the size of tariff preference. In most cases eligible countries do not fully utilize their tariff preference and so erosion will not have a significant impact.
The Korea Economic Institute and Asia-Pacific Section WIIT's Brownbag Luncheon
Featuring Ms. Amy Jackson, Deputy Assistant USTR for Korea.
On July 19th, the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) and Asia Pacific Section of Women in International Trade ("WIIT") held a free brownbag luncheon featuring Ms. Amy Jackson, Deputy Assistant USTR for Korea. Ms. Jackson shared her insights on a broad range of issues affecting U.S. Korea economic relations based on her negotiating for the Bush Administration with the Korean government.
Women in International Trade 2005 Summer Social
On August 23rd, WIIT honored two women of the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR): Christine Bliss, Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for Services and Investment, and Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa. The weather cooperated wonderfully, so everyone enjoyed eating ice cream sundaes or sipping a cocktail on the balcony of the Rotunda Room at the Capital View Conference Center. Christine Bliss spoke of her career and what lead her to "follow her heart" to work at the USTR. She advised that we direct our careers to a place where we can enjoy putting our energy and talents into something we believe in. Flori spoke of her passion for Africa and how Christine and she had in their careers worked outside of USTR, but eventually came back to USTR because they believed in the work of USTR. Angela asked a question at the end about how they accomplish a balanced lifestyle as workingwomen. Flori gave an illustration of juggling balls in the air. She said that some balls are glass and some are rubber. You must focus on the glass balls, and if you must let the rubber balls fall and bounce into the corner to gather dust for a while, then so be it. You can always gather them up, dust them off, and throw them back into the mix again later. The key is to know which balls are glass, and to remember that the balls change as life goes on. Christine said that we must not be afraid to jump off the fast track for a while, but to remember to stay networked. Both women gave inspirational speeches about their careers, working at the USTR, and balanced lifestyles. Many thanks go out to the Special Events Committee for organizing such a seamless and exceptional event. To see pictures from the event click here.