Washington DC – Last night the National Foreign Trade Council Foundation (NFTC) hosted its annual World Trade Dinner and Award Ceremony at the United States Institute of Peace, honoring Congressmen Kevin Brady and Jared Polis for their leadership in the trade community.
Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, President of the NFTC, delivered welcome remarks, stressing the importance of trade and maintaining open markets, “America is a great trading nation. Maintaining our gains as a leader in world trade requires us to continually work on building a domestic economy that can compete with the world, a global economy that is more open and fair, and an open market at home to benefit American consumers and ensure that our exporters have access to needed inputs.”
Congressman Kevin Brady, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, was recognized for his lifetime achievement in opening markets worldwide to U.S. trade and investment. In his remarks, Chairman Brady highlighted the benefits of a strong American presence in international markets for American workers, consumers & communities, and the importance of bipartisan support for reforming the US tax system to make American businesses more competitive across the globe.
In his remarks, Chairman Brady stressed that the “Freedom to trade is the most important economic freedom we have. It lies at the heart of our free enterprise system, it’s a driving force behind innovation, entrepreneurship, behind opportunity. Preserving that freedom to trade means standing up for our ability to buy and sell goods anywhere in the world. […] As history has shown, when free trade is conducted on a level playing field, when these agreements are done right and strictly enforced, we win. We win in a big way. […] We need robust trade agreements to open up markets to American made goods. It’s not enough to be able to buy American, we have to sell American, everywhere throughout the world.”
Congressman Jared Polis was presented with the Trade Leadership for the Digital Age Award in recognition of his leadership in fostering policies beneficial to the way global companies conduct business in the internet age, and for raising awareness of the ways digital trade connects ideas with people to transform the world. During his remarks, Congressman Polis highlighted the importance of free trade, tax reform, and the “need to support a global infrastructure of rules, support cross border flow of information, and freedom of internet, to allow for entrepreneurship around the world.”
Congressman Polis illustrated the importance of access to the global digital and Internet economy in his own district. Polis said, “One of my constituents, Nick Martin, developed an online used-cycling business and utilizes e-commerce sites, like Ebay to sell goods to consumers world-wide. Entrepreneurs like Nick benefit from international trade by having a global customer base.”
Now in its 102nd year, NFTC Foundation’s World Trade Dinner has become a valued tradition for guests, ranging from senior U.S. government officials and diplomats to executives of critical global industries. This year’s dinner was held in the Shultz Great Hall of the United States Institute of Peace.
About the NFTC
Serving America’s Global Businesses Since 1914 – The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules- based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.
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