World Trade Center-Kansas City News: July 2023

Jul 10, 2023

Category:

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Happy July from WTC-KC! We are excited to host the inaugural Heartland Export Accelerator Public Showcase this month. Launched in Fall 2022, the Heartland Export Accelerator (HEA), powered by World Trade Center – Kansas City, prepares businesses to compete and grow successfully in the global marketplace. Our inaugural showcase event culminates the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 cohorts. Each company will present their business, their HEA experience, and their global ambitions. Join us on Wednesday, July 12th, from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the Plexpod Westport Commons to learn more about the Heartland Export Accelerator, network with international trade professionals, and meet our globally-minded companies! Register here.

July 26 marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. People with disabilities are members of the workforce in all sectors. Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard of the World Trade Organization has stressed the importance of “…creating better economic opportunities for people with disabilities through integrating them into global commerce” and shared how global trade is more than economics but is a way to exercise our virtues. Disabilities are more common than many think. One in seven people globally has a disability, a figure that will likely be influenced by the continuing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The international business community has an opportunity to continue working towards an inclusive trade ecosystem for all, through methods from free trade policies to hiring practices. Read Deputy Director-General Ellard’s remarks here and find resources for learning more about disabilities in the Kansas City area here.

Please contact us with any trade needs.

Events

Heartland Export Accelerator Public Showcase
WTC-KC
July 12
Register here

America’s Seed Fund Road Tour
Missouri Small Business Development Centers
July 19
Register here

Are You Ready to Export? Meet the Export-Import Bank of the United States
EXIM Bank
July 26
Register here

Romania & Poland Aerospace and Defense Webinar
U.S. Commercial Service
July 26
Register here

Talking Trade
WTC-KC, Heartland Black Chamber and Dentons
August 9, 2023
Register here

Certified Global Business Professional Training
MU ITC
August 8-10
Register here

Food Expo Pro
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
August 17-26
Register here

Seeking Council Member Nominations
Mid America District Export Council
Due: September 1, 2023
Nominate here

Trade Mission to Canada and Mexico
International Trade Administration
September 17-22
Register here

EXIM 2023 Annual Conference – Create Locally, Export Globally
EXIM Bank
October 19-20
Save the Date

2023 Mid-America Trade Summit
University of Missouri
October 25 & 26
Save the Date

AI Expo Africa
U.S. Commercial Service
November 2-3
Register here

Enlit Europe- Opportunity to Exhibit
U.S. Commercial Service
November 28-20
Inquire here

Conference and Exhibitions on International Trade & Foreign Direct Investments for Manufacturing, Services, and Agriculture sectors
Global Expo – India
December 21-31
Save the Date

Dispatches from DC

Photo of European Union flag against blue sky with whispy clouds.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) met on May 31, 2023, in Sweden to discuss topics such as globalization, new technology, and sustainable trade and energy. In attendance were representatives from the European Union (EU) and the United States, whose trade relationship has been rocky over the past several years due to changing administrations, supply chain issues, and a global pandemic. Despite being two of the largest and most influential world powers, the EU and U.S. have no free trade agreement, although talks have not escaped frequent discussion.

Additionally, both bodies want to strengthen local and grassroots companies instead of creating trade deals with foreign businesses. Changing climate policies and goals have also caused rifts between countries. A recent U.S. electric vehicle tax credit, for instance, excludes many electric vehicles, including ones that do not fulfill the critical minerals requirement.

This requirement states that the minerals used in the car battery must have been mined in the U.S. or a country with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. According to Politico, “The EU, which lacks a free trade deal with the U.S., is now negotiating a deal that would allow European companies to benefit at least partially off the tax credit if the automobile uses so-called critical minerals extracted or processed in the EU that could be used to make batteries.” Read more here.

Looking forward, anticipate growing talk of a strengthening U.S.-EU trade relationship, especially in light of increasing economic powers like China and a rapidly developing climate-focused and technologically driven world. Improved trade with the EU could open doors for many businesses in the U.S. and create a new market that was previously difficult to access. More shifts towards technology and climate-conscious regulations and issues such as forced labor in supply chains and green energy are expected to keep the U.S. and EU in close partnership over the coming years. Read the main points from the U.S.–EU joint statement of the Trade and Technology Council here. Find resources for doing business with the EU here.