Congressional Study Group Discussion

U.S.-Asia Business Ties, Investment, and Trade Policy

Honorary Dinner Speakers

Sarah Ellerman, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Vikram Nehru, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

In February 2024, the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) hosted a Pacific Rim Congressional Study Group Dinner for senior congressional staff. This off-the-record discussion was joined by Ms. Sarah Ellerman, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific and Mr. Vikram Nehru, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Participants exchanged ideas on the following topics:

• The role of the U.S. Trade Representative’s office in leading negotiations with Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partners participating in IPEF Pillar I – Fair and Resilient Trade.
• Challenges and opportunities for countries seeking a middle path balancing their interests in working with the United States and China.
• Southeast Asian governments’ efforts to include more of the downstream, value-added production of goods in their own economies.
• How companies operating in the Indo-Pacific are navigating various regulatory processes.
• The role of the World Trade Organization in addressing digital trade policies.