Currency Manipulation - A Role for Trade Agreement
The Washington International Trade Association
Proudly Presents
Currency Manipulation – A Role for Trade
Agreements or Trade Remedies?
As the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations reach the end game, and Congress begins to mull possible Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, currency manipulation has once again been brought to the forefront in the trade debate. Negotiators have not included any provisions on currency in the TPP but many in the trade community are calling for action. Join our featured panel to discuss if trade agreements are the proper avenue for addressing the issue of currency manipulation and find out what could and should be done on the issue.
As the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations reach the end game, and Congress begins to mull possible Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, currency manipulation has once again been brought to the forefront in the trade debate. Negotiators have not included any provisions on currency in the TPP but many in the trade community are calling for action. Join our featured panel to discuss if trade agreements are the proper avenue for addressing the issue of currency manipulation and find out what could and should be done on the issue.
Featuring:
Gov. Matt Blunt, President, American Automotive Policy Council
Tony Fratto, Partner, Hamilton Place Strategies
Clay Lowery, Vice President, Rock Creek Global Advisors
Scott Paul, President, Alliance for American Manufacturing
With your Moderator:
Timothy Keeler, Partner, Mayer Brown
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Horizon Ballroom
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20004
About the Panel:
Governor Matt Blunt
Governor Matt Blunt is the President of the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) and the former governor of Missouri. He was elected Missouri's 54th governor in 2004.
As governor, he erased a $1.1 billion budget deficit, fostered a business climate that created over 70,000 new jobs, and increased education funding by $1.2 billion.
In 2011, Governor Blunt was appointed AAPC president, the three member companies, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors noted his leadership of one of the U.S.’s top automobile and component producing states.
Prior to his election as governor, Governor Blunt served in the Missouri House of Representatives and as Missouri’s Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, he reformed state election laws and used technology to increase customer convenience while also reducing costs.
Governor Blunt graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993. Upon leaving active duty in 1998, he remained in the Naval Reserve for nearly ten years and was mobilized for six months after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Tony Fratto
With two decades of broad experience in Washington, DC, Tony Fratto has earned a reputation as a trusted and authoritative voice on economic, legal, political and public policy issues.
Tony is an on-air contributor with the CNBC Business News Network addressing current economic policy issues, and his columns can be found on CNBC.com. He is also a member of the Center for Global Development’s Partners Council.
After serving as Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Treasury Department, Tony moved to the White House in September 2006 as Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary. He worked directly with the President and senior Administration officials, the national press corps, opinion leaders, and foreign news media, regularly briefed reporters from the White House podium and participated in on-camera cable and network interviews.
Tony was the White House communicator responsible for international and domestic economic policy issues — including international trade; global financial markets; banking; and international development and global health issues. He was also the White House’s lead spokesman on legal issues; Supreme Court cases; U.S. intelligence issues; terrorist financing; and financial crimes.
Before moving to the White House, Tony served as the U.S. Treasury Department’s chief spokesman on issues related to domestic finance, debt management, banking, international economics and international development policy. He was instrumental in leading the Administration’s communications strategy in dealing with emerging market financial crises, currency policy, macroeconomic policy, and tax policy. Tony assisted three U.S. Treasury secretaries on activities ranging from preparation for G7 and G20 finance ministers meetings, IMF and World Bank meetings, congressional testimony, media interviews, and speeches. Combining his work at the Treasury and the White House, Tony directed and participated in communications efforts in more than 60 countries around the world.
Before joining the Bush Administration, Tony served as a communications specialist for the Bush-Cheney campaign. Prior to that he served as Vice President of Government Affairs for the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, where he led successful public affairs and issue campaigns resulting in important infrastructure investments and legislative policy changes in Pennsylvania.
Earlier in his career, he served in senior legislative and communications positions in the U.S. Congress and Senate, and as a political director to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tony received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, and attended the university’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
Clay Lowery
Clay Lowery is a Vice President at Rock Creek Global Advisors, an international economic policy advisory firm, where he focuses on international financial regulation, sovereign debt, exchange rates, and investment policy. Mr. Lowery is currently advising multinational companies, financial institutions, and trade associations on these matters.
Mr. Lowery served as the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the US Treasury Department from 2005 to 2009. In that role, he managed a 200-person team responsible for economic and financial diplomacy, monetary and banking issues, currency strategy, and trade and investment practices. He chaired the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the government committee that reviews international mergers and acquisitions that may affect national security interests. He was the point person on US policy toward Sovereign Wealth Funds; served as the Finance Deputy to the G20, G7, International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Forum; and was appointed by the President at various times to be the US representative to the Boards of the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Inter-American Development Bank.
During his fifteen years of US government service, Mr. Lowery held positions with Treasury – including Paris Club debt negotiator and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Debt and Development Finance; the National Security Council – Director of International Finance; and the Millennium Challenge Corporation – Vice President of Markets and Sector Assessments.
After his government service, Mr. Lowery was Vice President for International Government Affairs with Cisco Systems and Managing Director for the Glover Park Group.
Mr. Lowery is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and serves on the Policy Advisory Board at the European Institute. He was an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in international finance and a lecturer at the National War College. Mr. Lowery received his BA from the University of Virginia (Phi Beta Kappa) and his MSc at the London School of Economics. In 2009, he was awarded the Alexander Hamilton prize, the highest US Treasury Department honor.
Scott Paul
Scott N. Paul is President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union. Scott and AAM have worked to make American manufacturing and “Made in America” top-of-mind concerns for voters and our national leaders through effective advocacy and data-driven research.
Scott has hosted more than 80 “Keep It Made in America” events, including a presidential candidates’ forum on manufacturing, and has testified before seven committees of the House and Senate. He frequently appears on television news shows, and regularly blogs at Huffington Post. Scott is also a co-author of the 2013 book ReMaking America.
Scott served as a staff member on Capitol Hill at various times from 1989 to 2001. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Skills Coalition and the Board of Visitors of the Political Science Department at the Pennsylvania State University.
Scott earned a B.A. in Foreign Service and International Politics from Penn State and an M.A. with honors in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
Tim Keeler
Tim is a attorney in the Government and International Trade Group, joined Mayer Brown in 2009, and brings an in-depth knowledge of international trade law and economic policy matters, and a history of working in the Executive Branch and Congress on major economic, legislative and regulatory issues.
Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Tim served in a variety of senior positions in the U.S. Government for almost 12 years. Most recently he was the Chief of Staff in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) from 2006 – 2009, where he oversaw implementation of U.S. policy, strategy and negotiations involving all aspects of international trade and investment matters. He worked on a number of key issues including: climate change and trade; US and China relations; WTO negotiations and litigation; free trade agreement negotiations and implementation; and CFIUS decisions.
In recognition of his government service, Tim was awarded the USTR Distinguished Service Award, the Treasury Distinguished Service Award, and the Treasury Secretary’s Honor Award twice.