Exports

Exports, Bagels, and You

Join us for a Slate conversation about America and trade withSen. Amy Klobuchar and Treasury Undersecretary Lael Brainard on Nov. 15 in D.C.

How will America bounce back from the Great Recession? Consumers probably can’t spend us back to health, which means that the best economic medicine is almost certainly exports, exports, and more exports. President Obama has vowed to double American exports in five years, a plan that would cut the trade deficit and boost job growth.

But how can the administration, and more importantly American businesses, turn these hopes into global sales?

You’re invited to a breakfast conversation with the policymakers, legislators, and businesspeople who are leading this effort, on Nov. 15 at 8 a.m. in the Washington Post building. Undersecretary of Treasury for International Affairs Lael Brainard, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion, and two CEOs will lead the discussion, which will be moderated by Robert Mosbacher Jr., the former president and CEO of OPIC.

We hope you can join us.

WHEN:
Monday, Nov. 15, 2010
8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street NW
Washington, D.C., 20071

Panelists will include:

The Honorable Lael Brainard
Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Chairwoman, Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion

Moderated by:
Robert A. Mosbacher Jr.
Chairman, Mosbacher Energy Company; Former President and CEO,
U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation

While the U.S. economy is heavily dependent on domestic demand—stubbornly anemic thus far—the growth of international trade may offer the brightest beacon of opportunity for our national recovery.

Mindful of this fact, President Obama launched a major new initiative, challenging American businesses to double their total exports in the next five years. How can American businesses and the government translate this goal into action? This year, the U.S. Export-Import Bank increased export financing by nearly $3 billion, and U.S. companies are expanding into new markets from Australia to Estonia.

But meeting this ambitious goal to double exports will require new ideas and new policies.

In “The Export Revolution,” join Washington policymakers and executives from successful exporting firms to examine the opportunities and challenges they face, and discuss how innovative firms, supportive government policies, and bold thinking can revive the economy, create jobs, and establish a new era in American trade.