WCIT Blog

What Will Ambassador Marantis Say on Thursday?

This Thursday is the WCIT Summer Luncheon, featuring Deputy United States Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis. This is a pretty big deal for Washington's international business community: the chance to hear directly from the person in the Obama Administration...

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Top 3 Reasons to REGISTER NOW for the WCIT Summer Luncheon!

Last year, the State of Trade blog featured a (highly-entertaining and informative) list, entitled "Top 5 Reasons to REGISTER NOW for the Washington Trade Conference!" It was, as you might expect, a list of the top five reasons that one should consider registering for...

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Who Is Magnitsky?

Yesterday was a big day in terms of efforts to establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia: Senators Baucus, Thune, Kerry and McCain introduce legislation to make this goal a reality. And with the House Ways and Means Committee hearing coming up (next...

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We Want Japan in the TPP—But Only If It Steps Up

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a fan of our 4th largest trading partner, Japan, with $195 billion in two-way US-Japan trade.  It is an important geopolitical ally, and the source of my favorite cuisine.  I was pleased when Japan announced last November that it intended to...

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The Importance of Importing, Part 2

One of the first posts on the State of Trade blog was (cleverly) titled "The Import-ance of Import-ing." It highlighted the fact that - for Washington state - imports are a major generator of jobs related to international trade and key to the international...

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What I Learned At the Port of Savannah

Last week, I traveled as part of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's Intercity Study Mission to Atlanta and Savannah. As nice as the visit to Atlanta was, the trip for me was all about Savannah...in particular, the Port of Savannah. You know the Port of...

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