This past month BritishAmerican Business played host to Liam Fox, UK Secretary of State for International Trade, with our friends at the DIT in New York, who gave a wide ranging and optimistic speech about the UK’s future as an outward facing, independent nation with an open and global approach to trade. The irony of his arrival in the USA coinciding with the threat of an imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports was not lost on the audience!

Whether the proposed tariffs come into effect against the UK and the EU or not, it is clear that we are going to go through a period during which the settled view of how the environment for trade and investment between nations is conducted and being examined at its fundamentals for the first time in a while. Our view remains that trade has been, and is, a force for good in the world and the liberal approach to the US-UK corridor developed over decades should be protected come what may. Liam Fox’s visit – coming on the heels of his trip to Washington for high-level talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer – is just one of the many high-profile events – more than 100 – BAB hosts each year. Recent events have also included briefings on the new US tax regulations, a conversation with National Grid CEO John Pettigrew, and an EU Overview with EU Ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida.

Above all else, BAB is YOUR exclusive members’ organization; we create networking opportunities for you, our members, which often lead to business opportunities, through the events and programing that we run. If you get engaged, your membership gives you and your colleagues the chance to meet other businesses active in the US and UK, and to discuss policy with government, their representatives, and other NGOs.

Do take a moment to review our upcoming events; additionally, I am always available to meet with you in person or by phone to discuss how to get value from your membership.