July 2015 eNews
Message from WCIT President Eric Schinfeld

 

We won! No, that's not quite right.

 

You won! Yes, partly true but not the whole story.

 

One significant success, but much more to go!

 

That is the proper framing for our collective victory on the passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), paving a path for trade agreements that open new opportunities for Washington workers and employers. "Collective" being the operative word, because it was truly a group effort; hundreds of you emailed, called and wrote letters in support as well as flew to DC (with us or others) to share your views.

 

Because of your efforts, the Washington congressional delegation helped lead the way for TPA passage. In fact, the bill passed with exactly the number of votes it needed in both the Senate and the House, so we can honestly say that we would not have been successful without the leadership and commitment of Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Delbene, Herrera Beutler, Kilmer, Larsen, McMorris Rodgers, Newhouse and Reichert.

 

Yet, we can't sit around patting ourselves on the back. The work to complete and pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership Regional Free Trade Agreement must continue without a beat. Meanwhile, on June 30, Congress let the Export-Import Bank of the United States expire, meaning that hundreds of Washington businesses depending on the Ex-Im Bank to help them reach global customers are facing lost sales and jobs. WCIT won't stop our relentless advocacy until Congress passes both TPP and a long-term reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank this year.

 

With the strong leadership of our congressional delegation and your nonstop commitment to sharing your support for TPP and the Ex-Im Bank, we will hopefully soon be able to truly declare this a mission accomplished...at least for a few days, until we move on to the next major trade policy issues!

 

Congress Passes Trade Promotion Authority

 

Trade Promotion Authority passed the House and Senate in large part thanks to the leadership and commitment of nine members of the Washington congressional delegation. WCIT is grateful for their valiant efforts in standing up for Washington's trade economy, and for our members and partners, who went above and beyond to share your trade stories via letters, emails, phone calls and meetings. Thanks to you, Washington state is leading the way in increasing U.S. global competitiveness and raising global trade standards.

 

Please take a moment to thank the members of the Washington delegation who supported TPA by sending this quick email using WCIT's online advocacy platform. In less than 30 seconds you can send a thank you note that will mean a lot to our Senators and Representatives.

 

For a full recap of the dramatic legislative process that led to TPA passage, see WCIT's blog post, "A Big Win for Washington." 

Freight Mobility is Moving Ahead

 

Increasing investments in freight mobility infrastructure has always been one of WCIT's policy priorities, and WCIT applauds the Washington State Legislature for finally passing a strong transportation package that will fund completion of key freight corridors, including State Routes 167 and 509 and the US 395 North Spokane Corridor. These projects will improve efficiency of goods movement to and from ports of Seattle and Tacoma, the Sea-Tac Airport, and to the I-90 in Eastern Washington.

 

   

 

In addition to the significant state progress on freight mobility, Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray are leading the charge to improve our nation's freight infrastructure. The Senators introduced the National Multimodal Freight Policy and Investment Act to invest in multimodal freight projects, fund key projects that enhance efficiency such as grade separations, and create a national freight policy.

 

WCIT is proud of our Senators for recognizing how critical freight mobility is to Washington state's--and our nation's--international competitiveness. If you would like to become more involved in advocacy for freight mobility investment, email Ashley Dutta at ashleyd@wcit.org.

Seats are Running Out for WCIT's 2015 Summer Luncheon,8/5/15 - Get Yours Now!

 

With all that is happening in trade policy this summer - Trade Promotion Authority passed, Ex-Im Bank will hopefully soon be reauthorized, the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations will soon be wrapping up - you don't want to miss out on your chance to stay up-to-date at the WCIT 2015 Summer Luncheon.

 

This year the theme is The Trade Policy View from D.C., and we will hear from US Representative Suzan DelBene and a panel of trade policy experts that includes David Thomas from Business Roundtable and Jonathan Gold from the National Retail Federation. In addition, the luncheon is a great chance to network with business and community leaders from across Washington state who care about international trade policy.

 

U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene

Dorothy Dwoskin, Microsoft (Moderator)

Jonathan Gold, National Retail Federation
David Thomas, Business Roundtable

 

 

When: Wednesday, August 5, 2015

12:00 to 1:30 pm

 

Where: Microsoft Events Center at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

1301 5th Ave, Suite 1500

Seattle, WA 98101

 

  REGISTER NOW!

 

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Erik Adair at eadair@wcit.org.

 

Thanks to our sponsors



 

This Month in the State of Trade Blog

 

A Big Win for Washington! 

It's finally here, the moment we've been waiting for the past three years - yesterday Congress passed Trade Promotion Authority! Do you hear the fireworks shooting from the WCIT office?

It's not been easy to get here today, and there have been nail-biting twists and turns along the way. But thanks to all of your hard work - writing our congressional delegation, sharing your trade stories, explaining why TPA is important on our DC Fly-Ins and at our roundtables, writing op-eds - we were able to push this critical trade legislation over the finish line.

 

READ MORE!

WCIT in the News












WCIT Advocacy Letters

WCIT Thanks Senators Murray and Cantwell for Introducing the National Multimodal Freight Policy & Investment Act

 

WCIT Joins 129 Associations in Urging Congress to Support Trade Adjustment Assistance

 

WCIT Joins Over 1,000 Businesses and Organizations in Urging Congress to Reauthorize the Export-Import Bank 

WCIT Members
Emerald
 Members
The Boeing Company*
Microsoft Corporation*
Port of Seattle*
Port of Tacoma*

 

Platinum Members
BNSF
Capitol Strategies*

Edelman
 

Gold Members
Darigold
Eli Lilly & Company
Keep Washington Competitive
Nyhus Communications
Northwest Horticultural Council*
Perkins Coie LP*
PhRMA / We Work for Health
Russell Investments*
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Starbucks Coffee Company*
Weyerhaeuser Company*

 

Silver Members

Alliance for NW Jobs & Exports
Anderson Hay & Grain
Calaway Trading, Inc.
Callison
Cascade Designs
Clark Nuber*
Community Attributes, Inc.
Columbia Machine
Columbia Sportswear
Costco
Dorsey & Whitney LLP*
Eddie Bauer
FedEx
Foster Pepper PLLC
GM Nameplate
Harris & Moure PLLC
James Farrell and Company
JPMorgan Chase*
K & L Gates LLP*
Nordstrom
Pacific Lumber and Shipping
Port of Everett
Port of Longview
Port of Portland
Port of Skagit
Port of Vancouver
REI*
SanMar
Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt
Snohomish County Council
SSA Marine*
Trident Seafoods
UPS*
Washington Farm Bureau
Washington State Potato Commission*
Waterstone Brands Inc.*
Wells Fargo Global Banking*
Westwood Shipping Lines

 

Bronze Members
At Sea Processors
Basta Boatlifts
The Broches Group, LLC
Consulate General of Canada
Crane International
Desh International Law*
DLA Piper
Emirates Airlines
FM Legal Group*
Freezer Longline Coalition
Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
GBC International Bank
Greater Spokane Incorporated
HSBC
Highline College
MacMillan-Piper
Monument Policy Group
Move Forward Washington
North Star Aerospace
Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center
OHL International
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
Pacific Valley Foods
PATH
Port of Grays Harbor
Port of Ilwaco
Shoreline Community College
SightLife*
SWL Holdings
UK Government Office, Seattle
University of Washington Global Business Center
United States Chamber of Commerce
Visit Seattle
Washington State University IP
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Washington Public Ports Association
Wurts & Associates*

 

Associate Members
Amy Morgan, LLC
Columbia River Economic Development Council
Economic Alliance Snohomish County
Global Washington
Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association
Washington State Department of Commerce
Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association
World Trade Center Seattle

*Member of the WCIT Advisory Board