Thank you to everyone who attended the event on March 13, 2019 at the Fabulich Center in Tacoma! It was a great opportunity for us to collaborate with the Washington State China Relations Council, World Trade Center Tacoma, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance as we delved into the evolving trade landscapes between Washington, Japan, and China.
After welcoming statements from Consul General Yoichiro Yamada, Commissioner John McCarthy, Commissioner Ryan Calkins, moderator Andrew Crowder from the Washington State Department of Commerce guided the panel though the discussion.
Robert Hamilton, Governor’s Advisor for Trade Policy, began the discussion with background on tariffs and the policies surrounding them. Dennis Frett, Executive VP of Toray Composite Materials America, provided information about Toray and the impact of retaliatory tariffs on their trade. John Melin, President and COO of Brown & Haley, not only brought samples of their new Sea Salt Caramel Almond Roca, but also shared insight into their market in China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Amy Paulose, President of AMES International, emphasized the importance of certainty in trade relations and how important it is for time-sensitive products like chocolates to find their markets quickly.
All of our panelists took part in a lively conversation about the importance of ports, shipping, strong trade relations between governments, and what the future might hold. We ended with an audience Q&A and reception.
A special thanks to our partner organizations, the Port of Tacoma for hosting, Port of Seattle for providing refreshments, and our amazing speakers.
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