SOLD OUT - International Policy Roundtable: China and US Trade

TThe ongoing trade war between China and the United States is one of the most significant current international policy issues. with critical ramifications for both countries' economies as well as the global economy. The issue also has important security dimensions, given the concerns of many Washington policy-makers regarding the security implications of the Made in China 2025 strategy. But US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross recently stated that the US and China are "miles and miles from getting a resolution" on current trade negotiations (see Bloomberg article here).

To help us better understand the issue, the inaugural HKS International Policy Roundtable brings together HKS alumni Peter Lichtenbaum, Matthew Reisman, and Amy Porges (see bios below), all of whom have deep involvement in this issue and will lead what is sure to be a lively discussion about how the two countries can best move forward.  

The HKS International Policy Roundtable (IPR) is a new DC special interest group for HKS alumni. The group aims to serve as a forum to discuss matters of global significance involving a range of international policy topics. Structured as a participatory roundtable, the IPR seeks to expand alumni engagement within the HKS DC community, while providing opportunities for alumni to forge friendships and professional networks.  

Complimentary wine and light snacks will be served.

Roundtable Bios

Peter Lichtenbaum is a partner with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.  His practice focuses on the regulation of international business and trade.  He is Chair of the Washington Export Council, General Counsel of the American League for Exports and Security Assistance, and a member of the State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group.  Before joining Covington, he served as Vice President, Regulatory Compliance & International Policy, BAE Systems, Inc., where his responsibilities included compliance and policy matters relating to defense trade controls, national security reviews of foreign investments, and other international issues.  He previously served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, and also served as Acting Under Secretary for Industry and Security and as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade.  At the Commerce Department, he administered the U.S. dual-use export control system, participated in policy reviews of foreign investments in the United States, and managed programs relating to the U.S. defense industrial base.  He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Matthew Reisman advocates for international trade policies that enable people everywhere to achieve more through technology. He joined Microsoft in April 2013 after four years at the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), where his work focused on the role of digital trade in the global economy and the economic effects of barriers to trade in services. Matthew worked previously at Nathan Associates, where he advised trade and investment policy officials in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.  Prior to joining Nathan, Matthew interned in the Office of WTO and Multilateral Affairs at the Office of the US Trade Representative. Matthew received his AB in Comparative Area Studies from Duke University and his Master in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.  He was a Fulbright Fellow in Mali.

Amy Porges practices international trade and customs law. She provides strategic legal advice and problem-solving to help her clients gain or maintain market access around the globe for the goods they make and the services they supply. She advises on trade negotiations, trade policy, legislation and administrative proceedings, and litigation before the WTO or free trade agreements. After 20 years as a legal advisor and litigator at USTR in Washington and the GATT Secretariat in Geneva, and nine years in global law firms, Amy opened her own law practice in 2009, helping trade associations, global companies and governments solve market access problems through rights-based advocacy. She is a graduate of HKS and Harvard Law School, and teaches trade policy at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington.