Government & Fiscal Affairs Council

Join the Government & Fiscal Affairs Council for our July meeting to hear about how major economic policy changes at the federal level are impacting our region.

As the Trump administration seeks to affect change in a variety of policy of areas through trade law, the constantly shifting landscape is having an impact on transnational business. As the major trade gateway for the rest of the country and a neighbor to Mexico, these policy changes have the potential to ripple through the Southern California economy in a variety of ways. Brian Peck, Director, and Fangfei Dong, Associate Director, of the USC Gould School of Law's Center for Transnational Law and Business, will share their analysis on how federal trade policies are playing out closer to home.

Special guest Zaib Shaikh, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, will also share updates on relations between Canada and the U.S. in the current political climate.

In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the Opportunity Zone program, which established certain census tracts in which businesses, equipment and real property can receive investment through special funding. Los Angeles has identified 193 "Opportunity Zones" in 13 council districts that are eligible for investors to receive federal tax incentives by investing their capital gains in these communities. William Chun, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for the City of Los Angeles, will discuss how the city is working with businesses to facilitate the process of investment for projects that meet the needs for these diverse communities.