International Trade & Customs Committee

Overview

The International Trade & Customs Committee is made up of trade, customs, and compliance experts from the largest and most innovative retail companies. The Committee serves as a forum for executives from RILA’s member companies to network, benchmark and exchange ideas on the most pressing trade-related issues facing the retail industry.

Against a dynamic trade landscape, RILA encourages the administration and Congress to pursue trade policies that position leading retailers for long-term success at home and give them a competitive edge abroad. RILA will continue to work with lawmakers and policymakers to advance policies that reduce trade barriers and promote open markets, develop new sourcing opportunities, strategically realign the section 301 tariffs, renew trade preference programs, and work with key trading partners to address our shared concerns with unfair trade practices.

In order to provide input, feedback, and leadership on key trade issues, the Committee works routinely with various U.S. government agencies carrying out U.S. trade policy, trade facilitation, and trade enforcement, including the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as with lawmakers and the committees of jurisdiction overseeing trade issues in Congress.

The Committee also inform RILA’s work on various coalitions that aim to create new opportunities for open markets and lower trade barriers while facilitating the efficient movement of goods and services across our borders and through America’s ports of entry.

The Committee has a monthly conference call on the first Tuesday of every month and ad hoc calls based on member interest and fast-developing issues, and cross-functional calls with other RILA communities covering issues of shared interest. The Committee also aims to hold two in-person meetings each year that includes updates from congressional staff, administration officials, and thought leaders on trade policy.

For more information on the International Trade and Customs Committee, please reach out to Blake Harden, Vice President of International Trade.