On March 26, the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) held an online webinar on trade policy in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Panelists included: Wendy Cutler, vice president of ASPI and former negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Simon Evenett, Professor of International Trade … Read more
On March 23, the WCO released an Urgent Notice on counterfeit medical supplies, urging the general public to exercise caution when purchasing medical equipment. As criminals continue to exploit an increased demand for medical supplies due to COVID-19, Customs administrations are faced with the challenge of combating counterfeit goods. At the beginning of the month, … Read more
On Wednesday, President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to restrict non-essential travel, closing off the world’s longest border. This effort will bring tourism to a halt but will limit economic damage by allowing essential workers and trade to flow across the border. By continuing to facilitate trade, leaders ensure that essential goods such as medicine … Read more
On March 5, 2020, CT Strategies attended the Association of Women in International Trade’s (WIIT) annual International Women’s Day Reception at the Embassy of New Zealand. The reception opened with remarks from Ambassador Rosemary Banks, New Zealand’s first female ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Banks outlined New Zealand’s efforts to promote women’s economic development … Read more
As of March 7, over 70 countries have confirmed cases of COVID-19, a respiratory coronavirus that originated in China in December. Since the initial outbreak, there have been 101,583 confirmed cases and 3,460 deaths. The U.S. alone has reported over 250 cases. The coronavirus and corresponding containment efforts have led to decreased demand within the … Read more
On February 28, CT Strategies attended the Washington International Trade Association’s (WITA) annual Congressional Trade Agenda. During this event, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Congressional trade leaders gave an overview of the Hill’s areas of focus in 2020. The off-the-record panel featured Senior Counsel and Advisers from both parties, representing … Read more
On February 24, 2020, CT Strategies team members attended the Association of Women in International Trade’s (WIIT) round table discussion with Ambassador Judy Reinke, entitled “The Art of Trade Diplomacy.” Reinke, the U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro, is the fifth Foreign Service Officer from the Department of Commerce, and the first woman, to be confirmed as … Read more
On February 10, 2020, the Securing America’s Ports Act (H.R. 5273) passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Introduced last year by Representative Dan Crenshaw and Representative Torres-Small, the bill would drastically expand the usage of non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment at U.S. ports of entry. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary … Read more
On Saturday, February 8, the CT Strategies team attended San Miguel School’s 8th Annual Scholarship Benefit Gala in Bethesda, MD. San Miguel School is a boys’ middle school in Washington DC that aims to “transform lives and break the cycle of poverty through education.” About 90 percent of students attending the school live at or below the federal poverty level, and many of them are the first … Read more
What is e-Commerce? The exponential growth of e-commerce, or “high-volume, low-value shipments purchased via electronic means,” has engendered a shift from large container shipments to a high volume of smaller, low-value packages. As the number of small shipments grows increasingly high, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) faces new inspection challenges. Additionally, many new e-commerce … Read more