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On Friday September 6th, 2019, the World Trade Center – Kansas City (WTC-KC) held a roundtable discussion on the importance of the United States Congress ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The participants included Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, MO-5th District, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri farmers and executives of some of the largest businesses in the region (KC Southern, Hallmark, Garmin, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and Boulevard Brewing).

The day started with KC Southern hosting the legislators and farmers on a grain tour of western Missouri on their Southern Belle train. They used this grain train to highlight the importance of trade for one of the largest sectors in the Kansas City regional economy, agriculture. Missouri agriculture products exported to Canada and Mexico amounted to $452 million in 2017 and USMCA offers greater market access for key Missouri agriculture sectors. The farmers made it apparent to all aboard that tariffs hinder their livelihood.

The attendees deboarded at Union Station for the roundtable on USMCA. The CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center – Kansas City, Joe Reardon, welcomed the group and opened the conversation to discuss the impact of tariffs and importance of a trade agreement in North America. Reardon reiterated the KC Chamber and WTC-KC’s position against tariffs on behalf of the regional business community they represent.

Engineering firms Black & Veatch and Burns & McDonnell do not export products, but they do export and import services and people. They depend on NAFTA and now USMCA for work visas and the easy movement of people across the Canadian border. Garmin shared the need for an end to tariffs for the overall health of the US economy. Hallmark noted the impact for US consumers that would hurt everyone—they import materials from China and export their final product all over the world. All the businesses unequivocally advocated for the ratification of the USMCA agreement.

Both legislators listened to the feedback and shared their support of fair free trade without barriers. Congressman Cleaver informed the group that he was on a conference call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who unambiguously acknowledged the importance of USMCA and is working to address concerns about the protection of American workers and the environment in the deal. The roundtable was open to media and successfully conveyed the importance of North American free trade to the greater Kansas City region.

2024

  • Heartland Export Accelerator Spring '24 Graduation - On June 5th, the World Trade Center – Kansas City and Greater Kansas City Chamber proudly celebrated the achievements of the Spring 2024 Heartland Export Accelerator (HEA) Cohort. The Heartland Export Accelerator is an 8-week program designed to equip businesses with the k... more

  • 2024 Weida International Business Award: SharkOff - At this year's Small Business Luncheon hosted by the Kansas City Chamber, the prestigious Weida Award was presented to the Kansas City-based company, SharkOff. This award honors businesses that excel in entering the international marketplace and establishing a global footpr... more

  • Introducing Our New Coordinator: Mariah Oke-Thomas - World Trade Center Kansas City (WTC-KC) is pleased to announce and welcome a new member to our team! We are excited to introduce Mariah Oke-Thomas, who joins us as a Coordinator. Mariah is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia, where she earned a degre... more

2023

  • WTCKC Celebrated By US Commercial Service - During the recent Building Bridges to Global Markets event held in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 13, 2023, World Trade Center - Kansas City (WTCKC) was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for their continued efforts in international trade growth.  Deputy Assistant Sec... more

2020

  • Customs & Border Protection 21st Century Framework - On Thursday June 10th, Jeremy Page of Page Fura, P.C. keynoted the World Trade Center Kansas City (WTC-KC) and the Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone (GKCFTZ) co-sponsored virtual event, Customs & Border Protection's 21st Century Framework. During the event he discuss... more

2019

  • Frank Reynolds Discusses INCOTERMS 2020 - On September 26, 2019, World Trade Center – Kansas City hosted America’s foremost Incoterms® authority, Frank Reynolds, for an all-day seminar on the upcoming 2020 Incoterms® revisions. The new revisions will go into force on January 1, 2020 and marks the ninth update since th... more

  • WTC-Kansas City Hosts USMCA Roundtable - On Friday September 6th, 2019, the World Trade Center – Kansas City (WTC-KC) held a roundtable discussion on the importance of the United States Congress ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The participants included Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, MO-5th... more

2018

  • Trade 101: Getting Started in Exporting - On November 8th, 2018, the World Trade Center-Kansas City, hosted the first course of its Trade 101 Educational Series. The purpose of this session was to introduce businesses new to exporting to the many resources in the Greater Kansas City Region. The two outstanding instru... more

  • The Icelandic Ambassador Visits Kansas City - The World Trade Center - Kansas City welcomed and hosted the Icelandic Ambassador to the United States Geir H. Haarde and his wife Mrs. Inga Jona Thordardottir. The Ambassador was invited to celebrate the Icelandair inaugural flights between Kansas City and Reykjavik. The dire... more

  • Kansas City Doing Business in the Ukraine - On July 27, the World Trade Center—Kansas City, in partnership with Global Ties KC, hosted a visiting delegation of Parliamentarians from Ukraine for a business roundtable. The delegation was comprised of Parliamentarians Nataliia Vasylivna Veselova, Iryna Mykolaivna Suslova, ... more