World Trade Center-Kansas City News: July 2024

Jul 11, 2024

Category:

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Happy July! The World Trade Center – Kansas City (WTC-KC) had an exciting June, including the celebration of the Spring 2024 Heartland Export Accelerator (HEA) Cohort. Our graduates developed strategic export plans and gained insights from trade experts. Congratulations to our HEA graduates on embarking on their global export journeys!

The 2024 recipient of the Paul Weida International Business award was Shark OFF. They were honored at the Annual Small Business Luncheon hosted by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. This recognition celebrates their innovative shark-repellent jewelry, which promotes safer ocean exploration. The Weida award honors Kansas City businesses that excel in entering the international marketplace and establish a global footprint. Learn more about Shark OFF here.

We are also thrilled to welcome Mariah Oke-Thomas to the WTC-KC team as our new Coordinator. A recent graduate of the Trulaske Business School at the University of Missouri – Columbia, Mariah brings expertise in marketing and trade research. We look forward to her contributions in advancing our mission of fostering regional businesses on the international stage.

Thank you for your continued engagement with WTC-KC. We look forward to bringing you more updates next month. For any trade-related inquiries, please contact us.

Events

Measuring Higher Education’s Contribution to the SDGS
UNESCO IESALC
Monday, July 15 – 10:00 am EDT (online)
Watch here

Trade Logistics Webinar Series: Transport and Delivery Strategies for Global Sales Success
U.S. Small Business Administration
Tuesday, July 16 - 2:00 PM ET
Register here

Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) training
MU International Trade Center
August 6-9
Register here

9th Global Economic Summit on FINTECH: Accelerating the Digital Revolution
All India Association of Industries (AIAI) & World Trade Center Mumbai
August 8-10, 2024
Register here

Heartland Ciso Summit
KC Tech Council
October 24-25, 2024
Register here

Dispatches from DC

Photo of European Union flag being waved in front of stone building.

Implications of EU Election Results on Trade Policy and U.S. Market Impact

The recent European Union (EU) elections from June 6 to 9 have revealed a rightward shift in the European Parliament, prompting intense debate about the future of EU trade policy. The EU is currently reevaluating its trade relationships, aiming to mitigate economic dependencies on China and Russia by pursuing agreements with countries like Mexico, Australia, and the Mercosur bloc (Reuters). However, the increased influence of right-wing parties, which have been known to oppose free trade, poses significant challenges to the approval of these deals. The upcoming September election for the European Commission President will be crucial in determining the direction of EU trade policy (Council of Foreign Relations).

This shift in the EU's trade approach could lead to stricter policies that may impact U.S. companies operating in Europe and alter global trade dynamics, prompting the U.S. to reassess its trade strategies with the EU and other international partners.