Commentary

When our coalition drafted Proposition 45, a commonsense plan to modernize California’s approval process for building essential projects, we knew it would be a tough campaign.

In keeping with World Trade Month, the California Chamber of Commerce is highlighting its long-held support for a national free trade agenda and the significance of international trade in maintaining economic growth.

It’s politically popular these days to talk about making the Golden State more affordable, perhaps because we can no longer ignore the impossibly high hurdles standing in the way of the California Dream.

The British Government promised to make the United Kingdom the best country to do business. We are delivering. This month, our economy received three huge votes of confidence.

With a gross state product of over $4 trillion representing 13.7% of the U.S nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, California ranks as the fifth largest economy in the world. Here, international trade and investment is a major part of our state’s economic engine with broad-based benefits to our businesses and communities with California’s global exports exceeding $183.3 billion in 2024.

When you think of German engineering in America, you might picture a sleek BMW (maybe even as an EV model) gliding down a California highway — but perhaps you should also imagine a Siemens-built light rail train cruising through Sacramento instead. After all, Siemens’ rail manufacturing plant in California is one of the largest of its kind in the United States, producing trains that connect communities across the country.

I appreciate the California Chamber of Commerce for its invitation to share with you the Mexican perspective on the impact of the new U.S. tariffs on Mexico, on the economy and trade.

I appreciate the California Chamber of Commerce for its invitation to share with you the Mexican perspective on the impact of the new U.S. tariffs on Mexico, on the economy and trade.

On September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom concluded review and action on more than 1,200 bills sent to his desk as part of the 2024 regular legislative session. This year represented many major legislative wins for the California Chamber of Commerce working on behalf of California employers and I want to thank our members for their partnership in working to secure so many achievements for the business community.

Californians are paying more for everything these days. Trust me when I say that, as small business owners, we are feeling the pinch, too.

In a banner year for elections and a global context swirling with uncertainty, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the noise. It’s understandable — we are living in a pivotal moment, confronting complex geopolitical and economic challenges with lasting implications for peace, democracy, and free trade.

The 2024 theme of Women’s History Month is women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion.

California no longer has a minimum wage. Instead, the state has 50 minimum wages, differing depending on where you work or what you do.

Finally… and just in time for Labor Day… dockworkers on the U.S. West Coast voted on Thursday, August 31 to ratify a tentative contract agreement with port employers. The business community welcomes the new six-year contract, which covers workers at all 29 West Coast ports and is retroactive from July 1, 2022, expiring on July 1, 2028.

To the delight of the tax and spending lobby, Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose) has again introduced a tax on wealth. Inspired by government union pressures, similar wealth taxes have been introduced in seven states, and are similar to proposals made by Senator Elizabeth Warren during the 2020 presidential campaign.

Everyone in California knows, or should know, that the state has an immense shortage of housing that persists despite efforts by its politicians to jump-start construction.

Any question about whether remote work would continue after pandemic-related shutdowns ended has been answered: work from home is here to stay.

If an investment in knowledge pays the best interest, California is failing to maximize its returns.

We are living in a time of economic upheaval and transformation, largely due to forces of globalization and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Dynamics of this new industrial change–such as automation and artificial intelligence, and the rise of the “gig” economy–are dramatically altering how Californians, Canadians and citizens around the world live and work. Many technological developments originate in Silicon Valley, yet governments worldwide and at all levels must grapple with how these developments affect their citizens.