Add to Calendar 2022/05/10 2:00 PM 2022/05/10 4:30 PM America/New_York The U.S. Colombia FTA at 10 Years https://www.wita.org/events/us-colombia-fta-10-years/ Pavillion Ronald Reagan Building
In-person event, Past event, WITA event

The U.S. Colombia FTA at 10 Years

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (EST)
Pavillion Ronald Reagan Building Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center | 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

These sessions will also be available to view online.


Event Agenda and Speakers
Agenda subject to modification

1:30 PM – Doors Open to the Public

2:00 PM – Welcoming Remarks

  • Kenneth Levinson, WITA Executive Director

2:05 PM – 200 Years of Bilateral Relations

  • Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno, Ambassador of Colombia to the United States

2:10 PM – Taking Advantage of FTA Opportunities for the Agribusiness Sector in Both Countries

  • Jorge Enrique Bedoya, President, Colombian Farmers Society (SAC)
  • Gonzalo Moreno Gómez, Executive President, National Poultry and Egg Producers Federation (FENAVI)
  • Augusto Solano, President, Association of Flower Exporters (Asocolflores)
  • Jim Sutter, CEO, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)
  • Maria Zieba, Assistant Vice President, International Affairs, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)
  • Moderator: Kenneth Smith Ramos, Partner, Agon; Former Chief Negotiator for the USMCA; Former Director of the Trade Office at the Embassy of Mexico

2:40 PM – Successful Stories of Trade and Investment

  • Arrow Augerot, Director, International Policy, Americas, Amazon
  • Fabrizio Opertti, Manager, Integration and Trade Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
  • Luis Fernando Restrepo, Chief Executive Officer, Crystal SAS
  • Davis Warlick, Executive Vice President, Parkdale Mills
  • Moderator: Flavia Santoro, President, Procolombia

3:15 PM – The Roadmap: Negotiation and Approval by Congress

  • Representative Kevin Brady, Ranking Member, House Committee on Ways and Means
  • Hernando José Gómez, President, Asobancaria, the Banking and Financial Institutions Association of Colombia; former Chief Colombian Negotiator of the U.S.- Colombia Free Trade Agreement; and former Colombian Ambassador to the WTO
  • Everett Eissenstat, Chair of North America and Global Trade Lead, Edelman Global Advisory; former Lead U.S. Negotiator of the U.S–Colombia Free Trade Agreement; former Chief Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee 
  • Moderator: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Senior Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Former Member of the U.S. House Representatives

3:50 PM – Assessment and Outlook of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Partnership

  • María Ximena Lombana, Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Government of Colombia
  • Arun Venkataraman, Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service
  • Introductory Remarks: Eric Farnsworth, Vice President and head of the Washington, DC office of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society

4:20 PM – Envisioning the Next Ten Years of Bilateral Relations

  • Marta Lucía Ramírez, Vice President, Colombia and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Colombia
  • Introductory Remarks: Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty, Chairman, McLarty Associates

4:30 PM – Event Conclusion

Thank you to our Sponsors!