This commentary appeared in the print edition of the Jan. 6, 2020, Journal of Commerce Annual Review and Outlook.
Through CONECT, all participants in New England’s international supply chain — importers, exporters, ocean carriers, ports, terminal operators, truckers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, attorneys, and academia — will again in 2020 educate and advocate on trade and transportation.
We are fortunate to be in position to constructively engage with key members of Congress on trade and transportation matters vital to the entire country. Congressman Richard Neal, representing central Massachusetts, has, together with other members of the New England Congressional delegation, engaged with and listened to CONECT. Today his jurisdiction, as chair of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, encompasses agencies critical to trade — Customs and ­Border Protection (CBP) and the Office of the US Trade Representative in particular, as well as the funding mechanisms to pay for transportation infrastructure, including highways, bridges, and dredging our nation’s harbors.
All components of the trade community must work together to advance priorities, including prompt passage and implementation of the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which has particular relevance to the New England trade community due to the high volume of trade with our neighbor Canada.
Our membership includes major retailers and brand names that source globally and are impacted by all trade agreements. We support the US–Japan Trade Agreement, as well as reduction in trade barriers between the US and the European Union. Of course, the China–US tariff battle impacts all our members, including those who source in China, those who sell into China, and all the truckers, ocean carriers, ports, and terminals that facilitate the cargo flowing between the US and China.
We will continue during 2020 to be the “meeting place” for all engaged in trade, facilitating education and dialogue between the government agencies that regulate international trade, such as CBP and the FMC, and all those in the private sector who must comply with those regulations.