WITA's Friday Exchange

Ep. 44: Walking the Tightrope: China Summit Fallout, a Board of Trade, and What’s “Sensitive”?

Following the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, trade officials are still searching for substance beneath the strategic ambiguity. This week, our panel unpacked what the proposed “Board of Trade” with China could actually mean. Does it signal genuine cooperation, managed trade, or simply another mechanism for managing the US-China relationship? While both sides appear willing to keep talking, panelists questioned whether any meaningful tariff reductions or concrete deliverables are realistically on the horizon. The discussion also explored the growing tension between economic security, industrial policy, and geopolitical competition. Panelists debated how new Section 301 and 232 actions against China fit alongside efforts to carve out “non-sensitive” areas for cooperation, while allies and trading partners from Southeast Asia to Europe navigate the fallout from shifting U.S.-China trade dynamics. Featured Speakers: Introduction: Kenneth Levinson, CEO, WITA – The International Trade Association Ed Gresser, Vice President & Director for Trade & Global Markets, Progressive Policy Institute; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics - author of the Trade Fact of the Week Kellie Meiman Hock, Senior Counselor, McLarty Associates; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University; Board Member, Inter-American Dialogue; former Director of Brazil and the Southern Cone, Office of the United States Trade Representative Sara Schuman, Managing Director and International Trade Practice Lead, Beacon Global Strategies; She was the Senior Trade Representative for China at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and also served as the Minister Counselor for Trade Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing during the first Trump and Biden Administrations. Moderator: Joe Damond, Non-resident Senior Associate at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in their Southeast Asia program; former Deputy Assistant USTR for Asia

Ep. 43: Constructive, Strategic, Stability: Decoding the Trump-Xi Pomp and Circumstance

After much anticipation the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing turned out to be heavy on atmospherics but light on substance. After doing the YMCA at the state dinner, the two super-powers seemed to bury their beefs (and “permit” more beef imports), and agree to agree to keep talking. This week, our trade experts discuss whether there were any actual deliverables outside the spectacle, and how the US-China relationship may be big on flattery, Pomp and Circumstance, while both countries co-exist, and the rest of the world will have to go their own way. But can they avoid choke points and mutually assured destruction on things like critical minerals, AI  and technology? Panelists also discussed ongoing fallout from court rulings reigning-in tariffs, Section 232 and 301 investigations, and the implications on frameworks and agreements on reciprocal trade reached over the past 12 months. Featured Speakers:Introduction: Kenneth Levinson, CEO, WITA – The International Trade AssociationWendy Cutler, Senior Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade RepresentativeKate Kalutkiewicz, Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates; former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Trade, National Economic Council, in the first Trump AdministrationStephen Vaughn, Partner, International Trade, King & Spalding LLP; former General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative in the first Trump AdministrationModerator: Chris Padilla, Senior Advisor, Brunswick Group; former Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade

Ep. 42: Leader-to-Leader Vibes, Tariffs, and the Courts: Trade Tensions Recalibrated

A major court ruling on Section 122 tariffs is shaking up the trade landscape and raising new questions about how far presidential tariff authority can go. Our trade experts break down the narrow but consequential decision, the legal battle over “balance of payments” language, and the long-term prospects for the President tariffs after court rulings invalidating tariffs imposed under IEEPA and Section 122. The panel also dives into Brazilian President Lula's "dynamic" meeting with President Trump; President Trump's call with EC President von der Leyen; the high-level summit coming up between President Trump and President Xi, and the geopolitical balancing act facing Lula, Trump, Xi, and Europe as global trade tensions continue to simmer. The conversation then turns to what comes next: tighter legal discipline around Section 301 investigations, growing concern over litigation risks, and how the administration may rethink tariff narratives moving forward. Featured Speakers: Introduction: Kenneth Levinson, CEO, WITA – The International Trade Association Kellie Meiman Hock, Senior Counselor, McLarty Associates; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University; Board Member, Inter-American Dialogue; former Director of Brazil and the Southern Cone, Office of the United States Trade Representative Daniel Mullaney, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East Kelly Ann Shaw, Partner, Akin; former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs & Deputy Director, National Economic Council Mike Smart, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors; former Director for International Trade and Investment, National Security Council, The White House; former Trade Counsel, Democratic Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance

Ep. 41: Trade Under Pressure: Tariff Narratives, China, and Global Whiplash

In the latest episode of the Friday Exchange, our trade insiders examine mounting pressures on the global trading system that is getting squeezed like a tube of toothpaste, as geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions reshape priorities. With conflict in the Gulf tightening energy supplies and economic stability taking precedence, countries across Asia and Europe are stepping back from new trade deals. The discussion explores stalled negotiations, uncertainty surrounding Section 301 actions, and growing skepticism among U.S. partners facing fertilizer shortages, inflation, and shifting policy demands. Our panel also dives into mixed signals in Southeast Asia, Vietnam’s unexpected position in the spotlight, and what path remains toward stability in this fragile moment for global trade. Featured Speakers: Introduction: Kenneth Levinson, CEO, WITA – The International Trade Association Wendy Cutler, Senior Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Ed Gresser, Vice President & Director for Trade & Global Markets, Progressive Policy Institute; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics - author of the Trade Fact of the Week Daniel Mullaney, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East Joe Damond, Non-resident Senior Associate at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in their Southeast Asia program; former Deputy Assistant USTR for Asia

Ep. 40: The Airing of Grievances: Choke Points and Tolls, China Leverage, Canada and Big Square States

In the latest episode of the Friday Exchange, our trade insiders look beyond the headlines to examine what’s really happening on your screens and behind the scenes in trade discussions. The importance of USCMA to “big square states”; rethinking rules of origin; critical minerals, “unfair trade practices,” and trade with China. Our discussants also looked at choke points and leverage, China and critical minerals, and is there a danger of new tit-for-tat tolls on global shipping Featured Speakers: Introduction: Kenneth Levinson, CEO, WITA – The International Trade Association Wendy Cutler, Senior Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Mark Linscott, Senior Advisor at the Asia Group and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum; former Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia and WTO and Multilateral Affairs Chris Padilla, Senior Advisor, Brunswick Group; former Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Kellie Meiman Hock, Senior Counselor, McLarty Associates; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University; Board Member, Inter-American Dialogue; former Director of Brazil and the Southern Cone, Office of the United States Trade Representative