The Future of Trade: A North American Perspective

Support for free trade and open markets in the United States and worldwide has declined in recent years. President Biden and his predecessors have increasingly pursued “Buy American” policies, embracing a level of support for industrial policies that has not been seen in the United States since the mid-1980s. This protectionism has broad bipartisan backing in Congress. Rebuilding support at home and abroad for key aspects of the open trading system (initially established in 1947) will therefore be a multi-year project, but the economic well-being of the United States and its ability to continue to compete politically, militarily and economically — particularly in the face of a rising China — depend on it. American leadership, through an open and strong trade system, can help bolster the international governance system.

At this event, C.J. Mahoney, the former deputy U.S. trade representative and chief U.S. negotiator for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), offered keynote remarks. The event also included two panels that will examine trends in international trade in three main areas: (1) the USMCA, (2) the U.S.-China commercial relationship, and (3) the restructuring of the World Trade Organization. Panelists also explored recent changes to the international trade regime and provided policy recommendations to strengthen the trade system, increase support for it and fortify its regional and global governance.

This event was sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico. The event was also made possible thanks to a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.

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Agenda

8:00 am	Breakfast
8:30 am	Welcome and Introductions Tony Payan, Ph.D. Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies; Director, Center for the United States and Mexico, Baker Institute
8:45 am	Panel I — The U.S., China and the WTO Moderator: David Gantz, J.D., Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics, Baker Institute; Samuel M. Fegtly Professor of Law Emeritus, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona Padideh Ala’i, J.D. Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law; Director, International and Comparative Legal Studies; Faculty Director, International Legal Studies Program Daniel C.K. Chow, J.D. Frank E. and Virginia H. Bazler Chair in Business Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Simon Lester, J.D. Nonresident Fellow, International Economics Program, Baker Institute; Co-founder, WorldTradeLaw.net and China Trade Monitor Ian Sheldon, Ph.D. Professor and Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University
10:30 am	Panel II — The USMCA Moderator: Tony Payan, Ph.D., Baker Institute Guillermo Garcia, S.J.D. Associate Professor, Texas A&M University School of Law James Gerber, Ph.D. Nonresident Scholar, Center for the United States and Mexico, Baker Institute; Professor Emeritus of Economics, San Diego State University Meredith Lilly, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Simon Reisman Chair in International Economic Policy, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University Elizabeth Trujillo, J.D. Mary Ann & Lawrence E. Faust Professor of Law; Founding Director, Initiative on Global Law and Policy for the Americas, University of Houston Law Center
12:05 am	Lunch
12:30 pm	Keynote Address C.J. Mahoney, J.D. Deputy General Counsel, U.S. International Trade and Azure, Microsoft; Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Chief U.S. Negotiator for the USMCA
1:15 pm	Adjourn