International Trade

Goals

Work with state and federal administrations and lawmakers to support expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable market access for California products abroad, and elimination of disincentives that impede the international competitiveness of California business.

Issue Summaries

Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Relations

Position: The California Chamber of Commerce believes that it is in the mutual economic interest of the United States and sub-Saharan Africa to promote stable and sustainable economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa and that this growth depends in large measure upon the development of a receptive environment for trade and investment.

The CalChamber is supportive of the United States seeking to facilitate market-led economic growth in, and thereby the social and economic development of, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

In particular, the CalChamber is supportive of the United States seeking to assist sub-Saharan African countries, and the private sector in those countries, to achieve economic self-reliance.

Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Relations

North/South America Trade Relations

Position: California Chamber of Commerce support for the USMCA and other FTAs in the Americas is based on an assessment that they serve the employment, trading and environmental interests of California, the United States, and our partner FTA countries, and are beneficial to the business community and society as a whole.

The objectives of the trade agreements are to eliminate barriers to trade, promote conditions of fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provide adequate protection of intellectual property rights, establish effective procedures for implementing/applying the agreements and resolving disputes, and to further regional and multilateral cooperation.

North/South America Trade Relations

Trans-Atlantic Trade Relations

Position: The CalChamber, in keeping with longstanding policy, enthusiastically supports free trade worldwide, expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable market access for California products abroad and elimination of disincentives that impede the international competitiveness of California business.

Strengthening economic ties and enhancing regulatory cooperation through agreements with our top trading partners that include both goods and services, including financial services, is essential to eliminating unnecessary regulatory divergences that may act as a drag on economic growth and job creation.

Free trade agreements can ensure that the United States may continue to gain access to world markets, which will result in an improved economy and additional employment of Americans.

Trans-Atlantic Trade Relations

Trans-Pacific Trade Relations

Position: The CalChamber supports expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable market access for California products abroad, and elimination of disincentives that impede the international competitiveness of California business.

The trans-Pacific region represents nearly half of the Earth’s population, one-third of global GDP and roughly 50% of international trade. The large and growing markets of the trans-Pacific already are key destinations for U.S. manufactured goods, agricultural products, and services suppliers.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a highlighted trans-Pacific relationship is welcome, as this is a key area in geopolitical, strategic, and commercial terms.

Trans-Pacific Trade Relations

Trade Promotion Authority

Position: The California Chamber of Commerce, in keeping with longstanding policy, enthusiastically supports free trade worldwide, expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable market access for California products abroad and elimination of disincentives that impede the international competitiveness of California business.

The CalChamber, therefore, supports the extension of trade promotion authority so that the President of the United States may negotiate new multilateral, sectoral and regional trade agreements, ensuring that the United States may continue to gain access to world markets, resulting in an improved economy and additional employment of Americans.

Trade Promotion Authority

World Trade Organization

Position: The California Chamber of Commerce, in keeping with longstanding policy, enthusiastically supports free trade worldwide, expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable market access for California products abroad and elimination of disincentives that impede the international competitiveness of California business.

The WTO is having a positive impact on how California producers of goods and services compete in overseas markets, as well as domestically, and is creating jobs and economic growth through expanded international trade and investment.

The WTO gives businesses improved access to foreign markets and better rules to ensure that competition with foreign businesses is conducted fairly.

World Trade Organization

Helped businesses find trade/investment opportunities in 2018 by promoting two-way information exchanges on exports, the international landscape, and trade with Mexico, Chile and Canada.

Helped keep global communication lines open in 2017 by:
• Continuing to nourish a strong international network as part of delegations to Canada, California’s second largest export partner, and Israel, a growing partner for U.S. and California trade and investment.
• Promoting two-way information exchanges via luncheons and other gatherings on trade with the Americas and Great Britain; provided web-based portals compiling statistics and other resources about major California trade/investment partners; distributed weekly Trade Update e-newsletter digest of the latest news and information about trade policy.

Sponsored publication in 2016 of print and web-based California Export Guide (available in English and Spanish).

Hosted luncheons and other gatherings in 2016 promoting two-way information exchanges on trade with Europe, Pacific Rim economies, the Middle East and Latin America; provided web-based portals pulling together statistics and other resources about major California trade/investment partners; distributed weekly Trade Update e-newsletter digest of the latest news and information about trade policy.

Continued opening export opportunities for California businesses in 2015:

• Supported renewal of trade promotion authority, which helps boost U.S. exports and create jobs.
• Supported reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im) to 2019, enabling California and U.S. companies, large and small, to turn export opportunities into real sales that help maintain/create jobs.
• Supported renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences, which saves California companies millions of dollars each year.
• Supported extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), helping support millions of dollars in California exports to AGOA nations.

Improved Trade/Investment Relations with Mexico: Organized Governor’s four-day trade mission to Mexico City in July 2014, including a 150-member business and government delegation, which puts the state in a better position to continue exporting more than $25 billion in goods to California’s top export destination.

The CalChamber was part of broad-based coalitions whose five-year campaigns secured congressional passage in 2011 of free trade agreements with Korea, Panama and Colombia, estimated to increase U.S. exports by billions of dollars and improve the jobs climate.