Jake Colvin is President of the National Foreign Trade Council, the leading business association dedicated to advancing the interests of U.S. companies in the global economy.
He guides the NFTC’s efforts to promote trade and tax policies that contribute to economic growth and job creation and strengthen and defend the rules, norms and institutions that enable fair access to international markets on behalf of a diverse membership of businesses who account for over $6 trillion in revenue and employ nearly 6 million people in the United States.
Washingtonian named Jake one of its 500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy, calling him “a fervent advocate for free trade, open markets and multilateral agreements as vehicles for economic progress.”
Prior to being named president, Jake served as NFTC’s Vice President for Global Trade and Innovation from 2008-2021, where he led efforts to promote an open global digital economy and elevate the role of trade policy in solving global climate and health challenges. From 2005 until 2008, Jake directed NFTC’s USA*Engage coalition to emphasize the benefits of U.S. economic, diplomatic and citizen engagement in the global economy. He is a Co-Founder of the Global Innovation Forum (GIF), which engages a global network of small business, nonprofit leaders and government officials to explore the role of technology and trade policies and programs in fostering resilience and inclusive growth.
Jake served as a cleared advisor to the U.S. Government as a member of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC) from 2014-2025, and has testified before Congress. He has written about trade and foreign policy for media including Business Week, the Council on Foreign Relations, Forbes, Inc. and Politico and has provided analysis for outlets including CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, NBC News, NPR the BBC and the Wall Street Journal.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of Washington, and is a graduate of the University of Richmond and the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. He lives in Washington, DC with his family.
