BABC Policy Update

British-American Business Council - June Policy Review

The British-American Business Council would like to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July and hope you had a safe and fun day, wherever you were celebrating.

In June BAB kicked off its Political Insights series with Sir Vince Cable and hosted the first in a series of high level meetings with Her Majesty's Government with the Minister of State for Trade Policy, focusing on UK-US trade and investment and the business environment companies face in the UK.

The momentum continues in July with the third meeting of the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group which will see up to 60 US Government officials in town for a meeting with their UK Counterparts. BritishAmerican Business (BAB) London is proud to be co-hosting the second SME Dialogue, looking at how more UK SMEs can break into and expand in the US market.

We look forward to seeing many of you over the course of the month, kicking off this Friday with a visit from Congressman George Holding.

If you would like to be involved in our policy work and sign up to our Policy stakeholder mailing list please contact us: [email protected]

Headlines

BAB Welcomes Minister of State for Trade Policy for Roundtable on UK-US Trade and Investment

On 14 June, BAB welcomed the UK Minister of State for Trade Policy, the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, and senior colleagues from the Department for International Trade (DIT) trade team for a timely roundtable with leading firms in the transatlantic community.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the state of transatlantic trade and investment and how the business community can support government efforts undertaken around the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG).

The session was the first in a series of engagements between BAB and the DIT to go alongside the quarterly TIWG session, which alternate between the UK and the US.

Greg Hands has since resigned from the post of Minister of State for Trade Policy, and we look forward to working with the new Minister, the Rt Hon George Hollingbery MP. The next session will take place in London in the coming weeks as the US President visits the UK on 13 July.

You can read the full press release of this meeting here.

2nd UK-US SME Dialogue

BAB London is proud to support the 2 ^nd UK-US SME Dialogue, taking place alongside the third meeting of the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group.

The SME Dialogue brings SMEs and stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic together with government officials to identify ways to deepen UK–US trade and investment ties and strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual interest to SMEs.

It is convened by the UK Department for International Trade and the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Topics for discussion will include: opportunities and challenges for SMEs in accessing US and UK markets, including non-tariff barriers to trade faced by SMEs; understanding regulatory practices for SMEs; intellectual property and SMEs; and supporting the domestic and international growth of SMEs, including through access to finance and other business support.

Registration for this event has now closed, but if you would like to stay up-to-date on our SME activities, please contact Theo Bachrach, Public Affairs and Policy Manager, BAB - [email protected]

Events, Media & Initiatives

BAB Welcomes Sir Vince Cable for First Meeting in Political Insight Series

On 13 June, BAB welcomed Sir Vince Cable, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, for the first of our Political Insights Series.

The event, kindly hosted by BAB London Member Charles Russel Speechlys , saw the Lib Dem leader and former Business Secretary speak on his party's strategy for business post-Brexit and how they are engaging the UK Government during the Brexit negotiations.

BAB's Political Insight Series will see senior figures across the political spectrum and policy portfolios meet with BAB members to share their views on business and their parties policies for trade and the economy. If you are interested in hosting a session in the future please contact Alice Mount, Director of Events & Marketing - [email protected]

BAB Meets with HM Treasury to Discuss Science and Innovation

BAB met with representatives of HM Treasury to discuss maintaining the UK's attractiveness as a destination for US firms looking to invest in science and innovation.

BAB has called for the UK and EU to find an agreement on science and innovation which allows UK based firms to be part of bids for EU research and development funding post-Horizon 2020. BAB are grateful for input from member companies on the issue and will be engaging with the Government on the future of the UK as an investment destination relating to the wider UK industrial strategy.

BAB Executive Director, Emanuel Adam speaks in Parliament on future of UK-US Trade relationship

BAB Executive Director Emanuel Adam joined MPs and industry colleagues for an Industry-Parliament Trust dinner on the future of the UK-US Trade Relationship.

Attendees listened to a discussion on the future of UK-US trade post-Brexit, highlighted by debates over a potential free trade agreement with the US and the challenges the UK would face for this agreement.

Emanuel discussed the complexity of such an agreement by identifying points both for and against a free trade agreement, and described key challenges that would impede this deal such as Brexit, recent changes to US Trade policy and the changing and often unpredictable political landscape over the next six months.

Thank you for reading this month's Policy Update. If you have any feedback or comments,

please email BAB Policy

BritishAmerican Business provides the official policy support to the British-American Business Council. With that, BAB Policy work supports and represents more than 20 chapters and their members in major business centres throughout the UK and North America.