With the recent changes to federal policies surrounding international trade and commerce, East Bay EDA has been engaging with various partners through dialogue to support our regional ecosystem of businesses and organizations as best as possible. In late May, our Executive Director, Stephen Baiter, participated in an invite-only roundtable for business leaders with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Department of Justice. Following the roundtable discussion, a press conference took place where AG Bonta reaffirmed his resolve to continue to fight the Trump Administration’s tariff policies. Not only will tariffs impact trade and relations with foreign allies, but other ancillary impacts could include reducing Americans’ incomes and productivity, causing higher prices and supply chain disruptions, and wreaking havoc on our financial systems.
In partnership with the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco, East Bay EDA hosted a North American tariff virtual roundtable to discuss the impacts taking place in our region. During this exclusive convening of business and community leaders, we heard diplomatic overviews on the current state of North American relations from Consul General of Canada, Rana Sarkar, and from Economic Consul, Ursula Rojas Weiser from Mexico. We concluded the meeting with Q&A from participants.
During the same week in June, East Bay EDA also partnered with Manex to host an East Bay Manufacturing Update, a webinar discussion with manufacturing leaders from diverse industries throughout our region. During the webinar, we heard from East Bay manufacturing CEOs and leaders on how they are navigating the current landscape of evolving and uncertain challenges and opportunities, including supply chains, tariffs, workforce development, and retention. Panelists included: Tom Arthur, Director of Operations, EUV Tech; Sandeep Duggal, Chief Executive Officer, Extron; Pallavi Joyappa, President, Emerald Packaging; Jared B. Mathews, Chief Executive Officer, Mathews Mechanical; Susie Quesada, President, Ramar Foods; and Dr. Michael Shabaka, Director of Sales and Innovation, Manex. Watch the webinar here.
East Bay EDA is committed to supporting the regional ecosystem of organizations and partners on a local, as well as global level. These convenings will help us to continue our discussions into September, when we host our inaugural East Bay Global Forum, featuring Caroline Winnett, Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck, for our keynote presentation. Join us for conversations with local international leaders, business representatives, and trade officials. Honored guests will include Consul Generals from our region’s largest trading partners. This event is presented by Sutter Health. Register today!
