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Bridging the narrative gap on trade
By Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU
In the past months and years, trade policy has been a hot topic in Europe. From the recent Japan-EU deal to the commitment to swift negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, we believe clear trade policy presents a host of opportunities in the coming years.
Meanwhile, debates on the role and effects of trade and globalisation are well underway. That’s because the way we live and work is changing – underpinned by unprecedented technological advances and increasing global integration. Policymakers and stakeholders are rightly having to adapt in order to effectively respond.
Trade today has become the focus of a lot of scrutiny, some of it unfair. We often hear trade being wrongly conflated with things like automation. However, the case for open trade in Europe remains strong – 31 million jobs depend on exports with the rest of the world alone. At the same time, we need to ensure we maximise the opportunities that trade brings and mitigate any negative effects.
Going forward we must reconcile the two narratives
US businesses are heavily invested in Europe and its success. After all, they employ millions of European workers – some four million directly here in the EU, to be precise. Our companies provide goods and services to customers throughout the continent. So we’re looking for a constructive dialogue.
And that’s exactly what we are doing at AmCham EU. We’ve started discussions with representatives from trade unions, NGOs and consumer organisations, as well as policymakers and business colleagues, in order to get their input and explore avenues for cooperation.
We’re also engaging online. You can visit our dedicated trade page: www.amchameu.eu/trade.
Or why not take part in our Twitter poll.
Finally, you can always reach out directly by contacting me or my colleague Tim Adamson, Senior Policy Adviser, AmCham EU (TAD@amchameu.eu).
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.