A Positive Trade Agenda

In the space of just a few years, the public discourse on trade has undergone a significant shift. Where trade was once commonly agreed upon as a net benefit to the U.S. economy and the global good, it is now used as a scapegoat across the political spectrum for systemic issues. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference, deep questions are emerging about the post-War economy it reconstructed, the multilateral system it created, and the liberal values it codified. The international trading system and its norms have unleashed an unprecedented wave of globalization but how the world understands free and open trade and its value is undergoing a generational shift. Join the Scholl Chair in International Business and CSIS to launch a major initiative to investigate and reshape the conversation on trade for the 21st century.

Introductory Remarks by:
F​rederick W. Smith
Chairman and CEO of FedEx Corp.

Keynote Address by:
Henry M. Paulson
​Secretary of the Treasury (2006-2009)
Chairman of the Paulson Institute

Following the keynote address by Secretary Paulson, there will be three concurrent breakout sessions:

Envisioning a World of "Three Zeroes": Zero Tariffs, Zero Subsidies, and Zero Non-tariff Barriers to Trade
Moderated by Scott Miller

Out With the Old, In With the New: Developing New International Frameworks or Reforming the Old?
Moderated by Matthew P. Goodman

Meeting the China Challenge: Engagement or Decoupling?
Moderated by Dr. Scott Kennedy