This event will be livestreamed on the Wilson School's YouTube channel.

President Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). These actions signal to foreign nations that the U.S. will have a very different outlook on trade under its new president.

(Ret.) Amb. Michael B.G. Froman ’85, former U.S. Trade Representative under President Barack Obama, will visit the Wilson School to share his outlook for international trade under President Trump.

Amb. Froman served in President Obama’s cabinet as the U.S. Trade Representative from June 2013 to January 2017. There, he worked to open global markets for U.S. goods and services, enforce America’s rights in the global trading system and foster development through trade.

Key initiatives under his leadership included the conclusion of the TPP agreement in the Asia Pacific and negotiations toward a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) with the European Union; the negotiation of agreements on trade facilitation, agriculture, information technology products, services and environmental goods at the World Trade Organization (WTO); the monitoring and enforcement of U.S. trade rights, including through the launch of the Interagency Trade and Enforcement Center (ITEC); and Congressional passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act.

From January 2009 to June 2013, Froman served at the White House as assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs, where he was responsible for coordinating policy on international trade and finance, energy security and climate change and development and democracy issues. He served as the U.S. Sherpa for the G20 and G8 Summits during and after the global financial crisis and staffed the president for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization’s Leaders Meetings. In addition, he chaired or co-chaired the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the Transatlantic Economic Council, the U.S.-India CEO Forum and the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. He also played a leading role in the launch of the Obama Administration’s Power Africa, Trade Africa and Feed the Future development initiatives.

Amb. Froman is visiting the School as part of its Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Leadership Through Mentorship Program and is this year's Syngman Rhee 1910 Lecturer.