Chamber Honored with President’s ‘E Star’ Award

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recognized the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce with its second President’s “E Star” Award for Export Service. The award is the highest honor given to providers of services to exporters. The Secretary commended the Chamber’s continued promotion and development of World Trade Week, stewardship of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council (LARExC), and other activities, including export documentation services, which have contributed to national export expansion efforts supporting the U.S. economy and creating American jobs. Learn more here.

Chamber Hosts DCOG Event at BioscienceLA

The L.A. Area Chamber hosted a Diplomatic Commercial Officers Group (DCOG) event at BioscienceLA on Tuesday, June 13. The event was organized by Ian Frederick, DCOG Chair, and David J. Whelan, CEO of BioscienceLA. Whelan began the event with a thorough introduction to the bioscience field.

Jana Lim, Ph.D., Director of Global Strategy & Business Services, Patient Navigation & Business Services for UCLA Health and Omar Perez, Global Growth & Strategic Alliances, CS Accelerator, Cedars-Sinai, gave incredible presentations about the global work each program is doing in the Biotech and Medtech fields.

With a tremendous turnout from our diplomatic core, including Consul Generals and Trade Officers, the discussion and subsequent Q&A session were captivating, insightful, and well-received by our DCOG.

Chamber Attends China California Business Forum

The Chamber attended the China-California Business Forum on May 22 at the InterContinental Hotel. More than 400 local businesses were also in attendance, including Chinese government officials, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and the Port of Los Angeles. Ken Wengrod, Vice President of Global Trade and Foreign Investment, met with Sun Chenghai, Chairman of the Board of the China International Import Expo Bureau, to discuss exporting U.S. consumer brands from the Los Angeles region to mainland China.

Chamber Attends Africa Day Celebration

The Chamber participated in a panel discussion on May 25 to celebrate Africa Day. The panel focused on the challenges American and African businesses are experiencing entering each other's markets. Africa Day commemorates the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year marks the 60th anniversary. The event was jointly hosted by the U.S. Africa Institute and the Arizona State University (ASU) Thunderbird School of Management at the ASU California Center.

Chamber Speaks with Indonesian Delegation

The Chamber met with Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, Indonesian Director General of International Trade Negotiations, on June 1 over Zoom to discuss the expansion of cross-border trade between the L.A. region and Indonesia. The conversation focused on industry sectors such as agriculture, electronic assembly, and services, along with the potential for Indonesian ports to establish Memorandums of Understanding with the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.

Chamber Attends Luncheon Hosted by Cambodian Consul General

The Chamber's Kenneth Wengrod met with the Consul General of Cambodia, Kim Chha Hout, and the Department of Commerce at a luncheon on June 14 to discuss the expansion of cross-border trading between Cambodia and the U.S.

Chamber Meets with African Communities Coalition for Public Health

The Chamber’s Global Team met with the African Communities Public Health Coalition in Los Angeles on June 15. The discussion centered on issues the African Diaspora is facing in Los Angeles and Southern California and how the Chamber can connect the African diaspora with businesses and organizations to educate the diaspora and promote economic development.