On May 9th, the World Trade Center of New Orleans hosted the Future of Trade Summit at the Hilton Baton Rouge. Attendees came to discuss the pertinent topic of change in trade policies and the future of the local economy. 

Under the Trump Administration, the global trade spectrum is changing, with an emerging intersection of "America first" and free trade. A focus of the summit was Louisiana's booming liquid natural gas business, with multiple companies in the process of building billion dollar production facilities in the state. The Louisiana Energy Export Association is lobbying for the growing market on behalf of producers. 

Gov. John Bel Edwards appeared, commenting on the importance of global trade and the infrastructure provided by Louisiana's port system. For a full  recap, see the attached article published in the Baton Rouge Business Report.