U.S. Department of Commerce talks trade, tariffs with Desert Aire

Overview

Desert Aire recently welcomed Peter Davidson, general counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, to its manufacturing and headquarters facility in Germantown, Wisconsin.

 
Mr. Davidson was on a tour of the Midwest with Department leaders for a series of information-sharing events focused on the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA). Mr. Davidson serves as the legal advisor to the Secretary of Commerce and is the Department’s chief legal officer.

According to The Office of the United State Trade Representative, the USMCA will modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 

Mr. Davidson said of the USMCA, “NAFTA went into effect nearly 25 years ago. Think about what your business was like, what kind of phone you were using 25 years ago and all the things we’ve had to modernize. The USMCA is actually helping American businesses join the 21st Century.”

Mr. Davidson said during his Midwest swing the companies he’s met with are mainly involved in manufacturing and agriculture. “I think the USMCA provides significant new benefits for all of those industries in terms of their ability to export and be competitive in the international environment.”

As part of his visit to Desert Aire Mr. Davidson was briefed by Desert Aire executives on the impact of tariffs and trade disputes to the company’s operations and exports. Keith Coursin, president, led Mr. Davidson on a tour of the Desert Aire manufacturing facility where he stopped at assembly areas to illustrate points made during the briefing. 

Mr. Davidson was joined in his visit to Desert Aire by Koreen Grube, director; and Rebecca Gladen, senior international trade specialist, U.S. Commercial Service Wisconsin, the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. 

Also taking part in the fact-finding visit was Loni Hagerup, chief of staff to Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Jim), representative for Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District. Congressman Sensenbrenner serves on House Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs.

Keith Coursin said of the visit, “We are happy to meet with Department leaders and explain in person the difficulties we face from a regulatory and resources point-of-view as we strive to continue our sales growth outside the borders of the United States.”

For more information on the USMCA:
https://ustr.gov/usmca

For more on the U.S. Department of Commerce:
https://www.commerce.gov/

Photo Caption: (from left to right) Loni Hagerup, chief of staff to Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., and Peter Davidson, general counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, listen as Keith Coursin explains the workflow of products being manufactured at Desert Aire.