Margaret Cekuta is Senior Director for Trade and Innovation Policy at the National Foreign Trade Council, the leading business association dedicated to advancing the interests of U.S. companies in international commerce.
Prior to joining the NFTC, Margaret was a principal at Capitol Counsel serving as a key member of their international trade team. She advised clients on a broad array of international economic and trade matters including the impacts of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and tariffs imposed by the United States and trading partners. She also worked with companies in a broad array of industries from automotive to lumber.
Margaret previously served at the Council of Economic Advisers, where her portfolio focused on international trade, including the Section 301 investigation into China’s intellectual property practices, as well as pharmaceutical medicines and cyber issues.
Before joining CEA, Margaret worked for the Office of The United States’ Trade Representative, holding policy positions in the Office of Europe and the Middle East (EME) and the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). In EME, Margaret’s portfolio included Ukraine, Russia, and Germany. While in the OGC, Margaret was a key policy member focused on the economic cybertheft of trade secrets and the Section 301 investigation into China’s Intellectual Property Practices.
Margaret is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she received a BSFS from the School of Foreign Service as well as a Master’s of Liberal Studies. Her Master’s Thesis, The Benefits of Promoting Women-Owned Micro and Small Businesses Through the United States’ Trade Policy, earned the school’s Outstanding Student Award.
