Event Detail

Ambassador John V. Roos will co-present the Peace Through Commerce Medal award ceremony alongside Under Secretary of Commerce Francisco Sanchez, and offer remarks about the accomplishments of the ACCJ. After lunch the Under Secretary will be giving a speech on trade and investment developments in Japan and Asia, and taking questions.

We are happy to invite all ACCJ members to a very special event, the awarding of the Peace Through Commerce Medal for 2012 to the ACCJ from the US International Trade Administration.

The Peace Through Commerce Medal, commissioned in 1790 by Thomas Jefferson during his tenure as the United States' first Secretary of State, has been awarded to fewer than 20 individuals in its 223-year history. It is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. After a long dormancy, the award was reintroduced by Under Secretary Sanchez and today honors an individual; group or organization, either domestic or abroad, who help to promote peace and commerce and whose actions have significantly promoted and developed U.S. export initiatives, encouraged innovative approaches, and improved overall U.S. trade relations.

Building on President Obama's policy toward Asia, and as elaborated on by Secretary of State Kerry during his recent visit to the region, the United States is committed to robust and multi-faceted economic engagement in the Asia Pacific.

Francisco J. Sanchez, who has served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce since 2009, will discuss the U.S. economic engagement with Asia, including the opportunities afforded through the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the U.S.-Japan relationship.

As Under Secretary, Sanchez leads the International Trade Administration, an organization of 2400 employees with offices throughout the United States and in more than 70 countries. Sanchez leads the efforts to improve the global business environment by helping U.S. businesses compete abroad. As one of the architects of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI), with the ambitious goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014, Sanchez directs programs and policies that promote and protect the competitiveness of American businesses.

Sign up now for this rare opportunity as seats will sell out fast!

Ruth Jarman Shiraishi, Robert Melson Jr., Co-Chairs
ACCJ Special Events Committee

NOTE 1: This meeting is ON THE RECORD.

NOTE 2: If you cancel after the stated deadline, the full meeting fee will be charged to your account. Sorry, no substitutions or walk-ins.