Letter from the Editors
The editors of Women in International Trade Newsletter want to welcome you to the third issue of the 2007-2008 year. This newsletter illustrates the time and hard work put in by WIIT members, all of which make WIIT a success. Please read the articles, learn more about some of WIIT's donors, get information about WIIT events, and much more.
This newsletter features
articles examining various aspects of "terms of trade." Understanding
the terms of international trade is an essential part of trade negotiations,
disputes and policies. Dr. Susan Aaronson and Kyle Renner examine American
feelings towards trade agreements in their article. William Cooper outlines
the details of what trade agreements are and what they do. Finally, Florie
Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative to Africa, discusses the impact
of terms of trade on Africa's economic growth and development.
We hope you find this issue informative and engaging. We welcome your comments
and suggestions.
Sincerely,
Manka Azefor, Kristin
Wedding, and Helen Wicecarver
WIIT Newsletter Editors
wiit_newslettereditors_2006@yahoo.com
This newsletter is the first of three newsletters that will celebrate WIIT's corporate donors. Starting with this issue, we have invited corporate representatives from Gold Level Donors to submit information about each donor and its commitment to WIIT. Starting in alphabetical order, find out which companies support WIIT and learn more about our Gold Level Donors.
Gold
Level
Manatt Phelps and Phillips, LLP and ManattJones Global Strategies, LLC
Manatt Phelps and Phillips and ManattJones Global Strategies offer complementary
expertise in international legal and international business advisory services.
Manatt, a national law firm, has offices strategically located in Los Angeles,
Sacramento, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Orange County; New York City and
Albany; and Washington, D.C. In additional to government relations/advocacy
and Latin America practices, it offers legal expertise in advertising; antitrust;
banking; bankruptcy and financial restructuring; corporate finance and securities;
entertainment; environmental; healthcare; insurance; intellectual property;
internet and e-commerce; labor and employment; litigation; M&A; real estate
and land use; tax, benefits and compensation; and venture capital. ManattJones,
an international business consultancy, has offices in the U.S., Mexico and
Brazil. Read more...
Sandler,
Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., is an international trade law firm
concentrating in government relations and customs law and assisting clients
with the global movement of goods, ideas and personnel and the setting of
global trade policy. Our areas of practice include customs, tariff, trade
and transportation law; government relations; import and export compliance;
trade remedies; regulatory and legislative representation; free trade agreements
and trade preference programs; intellectual property rights; corporate sourcing,
transactions and investments; and more. Read more...
DHL
Express
For more than 35 years, DHL Express has built the world's premier global delivery
network by trailblazing express shipping in one country after another. Over
220 countries and territories later, DHL Express is the global market leader
of the international express and logistics industry. DHL Express specializes
in providing customers with innovative and customized transportation solutions
from a single source. Read more…
Gold Corporate Members
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld,. LLP
Angola Trade Representative Office - ANIP
Blank Rome, LLP
Manatt Phelps Phillips, LLP /ManattJones Global Strategies, LLC
Pfizer
Sandler, Travis, Rosenberg, P.A
Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood, LLP
Wal-Mart Stores
Silver
Corporate Members
Boeing
DHL Express
Delegation of the European Commission
Bronze
Corporate Members
AdvaMed - Advanced Medical Technology Association
Baxter Healthcare
FWH and Associates, LLC
GE
Nortel Networks
NOVARTIS Corporation
Thompson Coburn, LLP
Do
Americans Agree with Trade Agreements?
by Susan Ariel Aaronson, Ph.D., and Kyle Renner, GWU Elliott School of International
Affairs
Americans are deeply concerned about the economy. Voters want candidates to
show what they can do to help investors create jobs, stave off a recession,
stabilize the U.S. stock market and halt the never-ending ascent of oil prices.
Few Americans see the solution to these problems in new trade agreements.
But trade agreements at the bilateral and multilateral level can stimulate
economic growth in the U.S. and abroad. Over time, more exports generally
mean firms can hire additional workers and reap what economists call economies
of scale and scope. They can produce more goods and services more cheaply
over larger markets. And, this in turn often leads to higher profits and higher
stock prices. Ever so gradually, the economic growth linked to multilateral
trade liberalization may help more Americans save for their children's education,
their retirement, and afford houses, healthcare, and consumer goods. But many
Americans do not "see" or "realize" the benefits of trade
agreements until years after their approval. Moreover, individual bilateral
and regional trade agreements have little impact on the American economy as
a whole, although they can have both a positive or negative impact on specific
sectors. Read more...
Trade Agreements: What They Are and What They Do
by William H. Cooper, Specialist in International Trade and Finance at the
Congressional Research Service (CRS)*
Trade agreements are basic instruments by which countries conduct trade. Trade
agreements are legally binding arrangements between two or more governments
that stipulate rules, such as tariff levels, and other conditions for trade
and trade-related activities between their countries. Two types of trade agreements
figure prominently in contemporary U.S. trade policy: multilateral trade agreements
and bilateral or regional free trade agreements.
The Purpose of Trade
Agreements
Countries sign trade agreements, be they multilateral or bilateral/regional,
for a range of reasons. The most basic reason derives from economic theory:
that economies benefit most if they specialize and export that which they
produce relatively more efficiently and import the rest, allowing for a more
efficient use of land, labor, and capital. Trade agreements are designed in
principle to encourage countries to do that by eliminating or reducing trade
barriers and to resolve disputes that might lead to the re-establishment of
barriers. Nations also enter into trade agreements for foreign policy and
other non-commercial reasons, such as to establish or strengthen a presence
in a region and to deepen an important alliance. Read
more…
Africa's
Terms of Trade and Their Impact on Economic Growth and Development
by Florizelle B. Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative to Africa
International trade is
important for boosting economic growth and reducing poverty in sub-Saharan
Africa. However, the prices in the international market have not always been
favorable to the products produced by African countries, making it difficult
for African countries to maximize the benefits from trade. Commodity price
fluctuations, other exogenous shocks, and the composition of trade have had
adverse effects on African countries. The historic trend has been for African
exports of lower valued primary products and African imports of more expensive
manufactured goods. Trade in primary products is very volatile, affected by
commodity price fluctuations, the unpredictability of crop harvests, and frequent
changes in demand for primary products. Read
more...
The opinions in each article are those solely of the author. WIIT does not endorse the views expressed in any of the featured articles.
Find upcoming event information
at http://www.wiit.org/events/events.htm.
Upcoming WIIT Board and Officers/Section Chair meeting dates are listed below.
Any WIIT member who has a topic s/he would like discussed at an upcoming meeting
should contact a Board member or Officer so that it can be put on the agenda,
as appropriate.
Board Meetings
April 15, 2008
Officer/Section Chair meetings
April 8, 2008
May 13, 2008
Export
Promotion and Trade Development in Africa
December 14, 2007
On December
14, 2008, the Export Promotion/Trade Development and International Finance
Committee of WIIT held its second brown bag discussion. Read
more...
Trade and Agriculture: Understanding the Basics
March 19, 2008
A panel of trade
and agricultural experts spoke to approximately 40 Congressional staff and
WIIT members on the economics and status of world agricultural trade. Read
more...
In a supportive friendly
environment, WIIT Toastmasters can help you improve your public speaking skills.
Public speaking skills can help you more effectively present can communicate
your ideas and help advance your career. We are affiliated with WIIT and with
Toastmasters International. Toastmasters International has been helping people
of all walks of life become effective communicators for over eighty years...
Let us help you achieve your goals. Visit our website http://wiit.freetoasthost.ws
for details and information. We meet the second and fourth Mondays of the
month, except Federal holidays. We meet at 12:30 PM until 1:30 PM at the National
Association of Manufacturers, 1330 Pennsylvania Ave. The closest Metro Stop
is Metro Center; exit to 13th and F Sts.
WIIT Mentoring Program
Want to learn more about the career pathway of a fellow WIIT member? Are you willing to offer career advice and insights to other women in the field of international trade? If so, join the WIIT Mentoring Program!
WIIT offers a unique opportunity for members in all stages of their careers in international trade to share their experiences and learn from one another by tapping into the broad network offered by our membership. The hallmark of the program is one-on-one mentoring, pairing one WIIT member with another.
Participants in the Mentoring Program will gain insight into the various positions and career paths in the field of international trade. The program is loosely structured to afford participants the ability to develop a specific program tailored to their interests, needs, and resources.
Making a difference as a mentor does not have to be a burdensome time commitment. It is expected that mentors will meet (or make contact by phone or e-mail) with the WIIT member with whom they are paired at least once a month over a period of approximately 4 months. Activities could include:
Please note that the Mentor Program is open only to WIIT members. If you are currently not a member and are interested in this program, you are welcome to join the association. Membership dues are $45 for students and government employees and $65 for all other individuals.
If you have any questions
or are interested in participating in the WIIT Mentoring Program, please contact
Angela Hofmann at angela.Hofmann@wal-mart.com or Christine Ramsdell at christine.h.ramsdell@boeing.com
Manka Azefor, Kristin Wedding, and Helen Wicecarver
WIIT Newsletter Editors
wiit_newslettereditors_2006@yahoo.com
