On Wednesday delegates met with Michael McKinnon, the Director of the President’s Export Council – the national advisory committee focused on promoting international trade. The Council’s 28 private sector members are appointed by the president and serve “at the pleasure of the President” with no set term of office and is a key part of the National Export Initiative (NEI).

Wednesday’s meeting was an opportunity for delegates to provide feedback on the NEI and input on the reception delegates received from meetings so far in D.C. Delegates reported that while most we had met with so far on the trip saw the NEI as a “good first step” many had significant questions. Most common was a concern that there was not enough detail on the NEI as a plan and a question about how much of a priority the NEI really was to the administration. And despite the fact that increasing exports is an issue supported on both sides of the aisle, partisan politics has crept into the discussion. Republican members have raised significant questions on funding. Given the current budget challenges, was spending federal dollars on a trade promotion program the best use of funds? Many Democrats still have concerns on trade generally – is it going to lead to job losses in my district or state?

While the AmCham Shanghai delegation strongly supports the NEI, delegates expressed concern that the initiative could “die on the vine” without additional leadership to ensure funding and to prioritize as a key part of the president’s to bolster the economy. But overall the discussion was productive and Chairman Robert Roche promised to provide additional feedback from AmCham Shanghai members on the program itself.