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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.

2014

  • World Trade Center KC offers education on doing business with one of the fastest-growing economies on the planet - For Immediate Release-1/24/14 Contact: Pam Whiting, (816) 374-5481; e-mail whiting@kcchamber.com Katie Erwin, (816) 374-5465; e-mail erwin@kcchamber.com Learn how to do business with one of the fastest-growing economies on the planet When it gained inde... more

  • DuraComm Announces Plans for its Barcelona Business - For Immediate Release January 10, 2014 DuraComm Aqualimpia, Bacelona, now owned by Benny Lee, will make a major commercial announcement at a 21 January 2014 press conference at the Barcelona City Hall at 12 noon.  Benny Lee, an American entrepreneur from Taiwan, and Kansas ... more

  • Black & Veatch to Lead St. Louis Incinerator Air E - January 10, 2014 Construction is expected to begin May 1, 2015 The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) has selected Black & Veatch to lead its $35 million incinerator air emissions upgrade program. The program is necessary in order to meet new federal air emiss... more

  • Black & Veatch: 2013 Natural Gas Industry Report - January 2014 For the second consecutive year, Black & Veatch has worked to capture the industry's viewpoint concerning key issues organizations across the natural gas value chain face. Primary findings from this year's report show an industry in the midst of significant... more

2013

  • Black & Veatch: 2013 U.S. Electric Utility Report - By WTC Kansas City Benefactor: Black & Veatch Corporation This year’s Strategic Directions in the U.S. Electric Industry Report shows an intensifying level of concern for a wide range of issues. In our annual Top Ten Industry Issues rankings, once again reliability was ... more

  • New issue of the Bayer CropScience magazine - By WTC-KC Ambassador, Bayer CropScience Monheim, December 13, 2013 As the global population continues to rise and arable land becomes scarcer, global food security faces a tough challenge: According to the forecast of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio... more

  • Learn how to protect your intellectual property - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 11/14/13CONTACT: Pam Whiting (816) 374-5481 Katie Erwin (816) 374-5465 World Trade Center Kansas City & U.S. Commercial Service Partner for December session Learn how to identify and protect your company’s intellectual property (IP) assets in a d... more

  • Exports Drive Kansas City Growth - From the Kansas City Star - September 18, 2013 8:07 am The Kansas City area’s economy grew 2.5 percent in 2012, the same as the nation, according to a Bureau of Economic Analysis. It said trade, financial activities and manufacturing of long-lasting goods led the way for the ... more

  • WORLD TRADE CENTER KANSAS CITY NAMED TO OPIC’S PARTNERS PROGRAM - WASHINGTON, D.C. – World Trade Center Kansas City has been named the newest member of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation’s Partners Program, a public diplomacy initiative designed to expand knowledge of OPIC’s role as the U.S. Government’s development finance institut... more

2012

  • Navigate the world of international business - The World Trade Center Kansas City has launched a new website, www.wtc-kc.com, designed for companies already doing business globally, as well as those considering entering the global marketplace. “The new site offers everything from help with export documentation and lead ge... more