CEO and International Trade Advisor, Marideth Sandler is slated to be one of the lead- off speakers at the two-day CAFTA-DR Forum in Antigua, Guatemala, on May 27- 28, 2014. The Washington International Trade Association and George Washington University are holding the intensive seminar on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the U.S.-Central America – Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The forum, to be attended by over 200 business leaders and government officials, is co- sponsored by the Guatemalan Agricultural Chamber, the Guatemalan Apparel & Textile Exporters Association, and the Guatemalan Ministry of Economy.
Ten years have passed since the Agreement was signed. CAFTA-DR has had a positive impact on international trade for both sides, although there is still room to expand economic relations. The Forum’s purpose is to assist Central American and Guatemalan firms to better understand the “nuts and bolts” of how U.S. trade policy is made and how U.S. agencies operate.
Ms. Sandler will speak on “Trade Responsibilities in the Executive Branch.” As former Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and now working on behalf of many emerging-market countries in Washington, D.C., she is well-placed to provide a description of trade policy in the Executive Branch including “White House agencies (e.g. USTR and NSC/NEC) as well as in Cabinet-level agencies (e.g. Department of Commerce and Department of Agriculture). She will also talk about the more intangible aspects of working with U.S. officials to assist other countries’ businesses and officials to be more effective in accomplishing their export and trade goals.