Where Europeans & Americans Connect to do Business | |
EACC Florida Executive Director Christina Sleszynska with Consul General of France Raphael Trapp at the Bastille Day Reception 2024.. | |  |
Christina Sleszynska represented EACC Florida at the Farewell reception honoring Italian Deputy Consul General Eva Alvino on July 24 at the Italian Cultural Institute in Coral Gables. | | |
Inaugural Meeting
EACC Florida Task Force
Transportation, Logistics & Customs
21 August 2024 I 11.30 AM - 2.00 PM I Doral
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EACC Florida Members and Invited Guests Only.
Join us for the Inaugural Meeting of EACC Florida’s Task Force Transportation, Logistics & Customs.
If you are an active professional in these industries and understand the benefits of sharing best practices across industries ensuring that there is no silo thinking, this event is for you!
While there are entities and professional groups – federal, State and local – that serve the transportation, logistics & customs industries and their professionals to advance their interests, few if any have a transatlantic focus or specifically serve European companies and professionals from these industries present in Florida. And whereas specific know-how and expertise represent a competitive advantage for any company, the issues confronted by the sector are the same for all.
The topic of the first Task Force event is: Know Your Cargo: Reinforcing Best Practices to Ensure the Safe and Compliant Transport of Goods in Maritime and Other Forms of Transportation
The interactive discussion will be facilitated by a former federal prosecutor and will address best practices for companies involved in the transportation of goods abroad, including but not limited to manufacturers, exporters/re-exporters, shipping companies, carriers and freight forwarders. These will include best practices in KYC – both Know Your Customer and Know Your Cargo, due diligence in researching sellers, buyers and intermediaries, and building a network of similarly situated companies in order to share information, among other topics.
Chatham House rules or any other confidentiality rule might apply to allow for open exchange during the meeting.
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SPEAKERS
- Kurt Lunkenheimer, Member – Cozen O’Connor
- Other speaker TBA
EVENT SCHEDULE
11.30 AM – 12.00 PM: Arrivals & Registration
12.00 PM – 1.00 PM: Program
1.00 PM – 2.00 PM: Lunch & Networking
Find out more about the Event here and about the Task Force here.
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REGISTRATION
- EACC Florida Members & Invited Guests only.
- The meeting location will be communicated to registered attendees only.
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MANY THANKS TO THE TASK FORCE FOUNDING MEMBERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT! | |
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2024 is shaping up to be a year of political change across Europe and possibly in the United States with deep implications on transatlantic trade policy.
The European Parliament elections in June saw far-right parties make gains, although centrist parties will retain their parliamentary majority. Whereas the snap parliamentary elections in France resulted in further far-right advances, both the Left and President’s Macron’s centrist coalition made a surprise come-back. This further complicates the French President’s capacity to govern with wide implications for European Union policies. In London, the general election on July 4 produced a substantial majority for the Labour Party after 14 years of conservative rule. And in the United States, trade policy will be among the biggest issues to watch depending on which candidate wins the presidential election.
This program will consider the possible impact of these elections on transatlantic trade with a special focus on France, the UK, the EU and the US.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
- Economic outlook in Europe and the US
- How will the new political majorities in place in the EU, France and the UK impact transatlantic trade policy?
- What would their impact be on the commercial regulatory environment, including on US businesses already operating in Europe or considering investing there?
- What changes can we expect in the UK’s trade policy with the US in general and US States in particular?
- What is the UK-Florida Memorandum of Understanding and how is it being implemented?What could be the implications of a Trump or Harris Presidency on transatlantic trade and business?
SPEAKERS
- Rufus Drabble, British Consul General in Miami
- Michaelangelo Margherita, Head of Trade, Agriculture and Digital Economy - Delegation of the EU to the U.S
- Sylvain Perret, Founder - Objectif USA
- Peter Stratos, Principal - Kaufman Rossin [Moderator]
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TECEX and NOVUS INK Advisors Sign Global Agreement - Companies Partner to Promote Cross-Border Trade Compliance Solutions for Multinationals. NOVUS INK Advisors and TexEx, both EACC Florida Member companies, have joined forces through a strategic global referral agreement to promote the adoption of best-in-class cross-border trade regulations and ensure seamless compliance for multinational corporations in the technology sector. Read the press release here.
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LeverX Invites EACC Florida Members to Join them for LEVEREDGE 2024 in Miami. EACC Florida Members are cordially invited to attend the Premier Technology Conference, LEVEREDGE 2024, taking place in Miami, Florida, from October 1-3, 2024. Special benefits apply. Click here for details.
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Grow your Business in the Heart of Miami with Miami DDA Incentives. The Miami Downtown Development Authority is offering grants to businesses relocating or expanding within its vibrant districts. Grants are available for ground-floor retail, start-ups and mid-sized businesses. Join us in shaping the future of Downtown Miami’s business landscape. Learn more at www.MiamiDDA.com.
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EU I AI Act Comes into Force. The EU AI Act is the world's first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence and is designed to ensure that AI developed and used in the EU is trustworthy, with safeguards to protect people's fundamental rights. The regulation aims to establish a harmonised internal market for AI in the EU, encouraging the uptake of this technology and creating a supportive environment for innovation and investment. Read more.
EU I DG Trade Publishes Results of Targeted Consultation on Outbound Investment. The majority of responses recognise the potential for risks linked to outbound investments and cautiously support the step-by-step action proposed in the Commission’s White Paper to monitor and assess the situation in order to formulate appropriate policy responses. Read more.
EU I New EU rules on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Enter into Force. They will set new standards for green products in the EU, prioritising circularity, energy efficiency and overall sustainability. Read more.
EU I €7 Billion into Sustainable, Safe and Smart Transport Infrastructure. The Commission has selected 134 transport projects to receive over €7 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU's instrument for strategic investment in infrastructure. This represents the largest call under the current CEF Transport programme. Read more.
EU I European Supervisory Authorities Publish Second Batch of Policy Products under DORA. The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – the ESAs) published the second batch of policy products under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). This batch consists of four final draft regulatory technical standards (RTS), one set of Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) and 2 guidelines, all of which aim at enhancing the digital operational resilience of the EU’s financial sector. Read more.
ECB I How Euro Area Firms’ Inflation Expectations Affect their Business Decisions. Setting prices, negotiating wages, deciding how much to invest or how many workers to employ - these are all choices companies make that have profound implications. When taking these decisions, firms typically consider their own business needs, the behaviour of their competitors, the state of the economy and how they think it will evolve. How firms form their expectations about inflation, and how these expectations influence their decisions, is therefore important for central banks. Read more.
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Joint Statement on the EU-U.S. Financial Regulatory Forum. The Forum emphasized close, ongoing EU and U.S. cooperation in a range of areas and focused on six themes: (1) market developments and financial stability; (2) regulatory developments in banking and insurance; (3) anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); (4) sustainable finance; (5) regulatory and supervisory cooperation in capital markets; and (6) operational resilience and digital finance. Agency participation varied across themes, with representatives expressing views on issues in their respective areas of responsibility. Read more.
EU - UK - US I Joint Statement on AI Competition. The four antitrust enforcers - the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission and U.K. Competition and Markets Authority Issue - pledged to use their available powers to promote effective competition in AI to ensure the public reaps the full benefits of these technologies. Read more.
US-EU I First periodic review of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. The DPF has strengthened the protection of privacy across the Atlantic, including through the creation of a new national security redress mechanism. In addition, it has facilitated data flows that underpin more than 1 trillion dollars in EU-U.S. trade and investment. Since the DPF’s implementation in July 2023, more than 2,800 enterprises have joined the framework, 70 percent of which are small and medium-sized businesses. Read more.
CAN-EU I Canada Joins Horizon Europe program. Canada is joining the growing group of non-EU countries who have associated to the EU's research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, and will work jointly on large-scale projects tackling our biggest challenges. The agreement gives Canadian researchers and organisations the opportunity to participate in the programme on equal terms with their EU counterparts. Read more.
WTO I Text of Global e-Commerce Agreement Negotiated at the WTO Published. Once integrated into the WTO legal framework, the Agreement will be the basis for global rules on digital trade benefiting consumers and businesses, and support digital transformation among participating WTO Members. Read more.
OECD I Strengthening International Tax Transparency on Real Estate – From Concept to Reality. This report sets out the building blocks to bring increased transparency into practice. These building blocks can be adopted incrementally by interested jurisdictions, starting with maximising exchanges of readily available information between interested jurisdictions and progressively moving towards more structural solutions for international co-operation on real estate, underpinned by reliable data sources and efficient methods for receiving the information that is relevant for tax purposes. These structural solutions would also ensure access to beneficial owner information when real estate is held through legal entities or arrangements. Read more.
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Thought Leadership
MEMBER and PARTNER INSIGHTS
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Drafting of Corporate and M&A Documents for 2024 Delaware General Corporation Law Amendments. The 2024 amendments to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL) have been signed into law and will become effective August 1, 2024. These amendments address issues that arose in recent decisions by the Delaware Court of Chancery and relate to foundational issues of corporate law. Read more.
USCIS Updates Guidance and Increases Investment and Revenue Thresholds for International Entrepreneurs. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new information on its website about the International Entrepreneur Rule’s (IER) eligibility criteria and acceptable evidence. It also announced updates to investment and revenue requirements for entrepreneurs to qualify for an authorized stay, known as parole, under the IER. Read more.
National Security and The Commercial Space Sector. The U.S. Department of Defense and its newest service branch, the U.S. Space Force, have published their strategies to integrate
commercial space companies' innovative technologies and capabilities into national security plans, including through hybrid government, commercial and allied space architectures.
The DOD published its "Commercial Space Integration Strategy" on April 2. A week later, the U.S. Space Force released its complementary "Commercial Space Strategy: Accelerating the Purposeful Pursuit of Hybrid Space Architectures." Read more.
Compliments Greenberg Traurig
Congress Raises the National Security Alarm on Shipbuilding [Marine Link]. The article discusses a letter to President Biden which focuses on enhancing the U.S. industrial shipbuilding base in the commercial and military sectors. It covers the growing influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the maritime industry, a petition recently filed by a collective group of labor unions to the U.S. Trade Representative regarding PRC’s policies, and MARAD’s development of the National Maritime Strategy. Read more.
A Cocktail of Labor Policy, Energy Policy & Tax Policy: Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Rules. The Inflation Reduction Act (the IRA) awards renewable energy tax credits1 for creating (or investing in) property that produces or generates renewable energy and clean energy fuels. Those credits are enhanced if the developer/taxpayer complies with Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements. Read more.
Compliments Cozen O'Connor
Architects and Engineers: Maximize Tax Savings with 179D Deduction. The 179D tax deduction is a federal tax incentive that can help taxpayers reduce their taxable income and ultimately lower their tax bill. However, many taxpayers, including architecture and engineering firms, miss out on this deduction because it can be technical and is not thoroughly understood. Further, few accountants and tax professionals have the engineering background needed to help taxpayers benefit. Read more.
Key Takeaways from Investment Compliance Roundtable. Kaufman Rossin recently held the inaugural event for its newly formed Investment Compliance Executive Network (ICEN). This exclusive event featured a roundtable discussion with five panelists from South Florida-based broker-dealers and investment advisers. Topics included: Modernized Marketing Rule; Regulation Best Interest; Regulatory examinations; Cybersecurity; Compliance programs. Read more.
Compliments Kaufman Rossin
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YOUNG VOICES FROM THE FUTURE | |
EACC Florida is giving a voice to the Z Generation, the Young Voices from the Future who have already started shaping the world that they will be living in. Read about a young person – a student, an artist, an entrepreneur, an athlete – whose identity, vision, project, achievement illustrates the vibrancy of Florida’s transatlantic community in our EACC Florida Newsletter and on our website. If you would like to suggest someone to be featured, please contact Christina Sleszynska at [email protected]. | |
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Bryan Soudrain
A Young Man from France with a Passion for Community Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Florida
| Bryan turned 20 in June 2024. He was born and lived in Gérardmer, in eastern France, until he moved to the United States at age 10. Bryan is perfectly bi-lingual English and French and returns to France on a regular basis to visit with family. Flammekueche (a specialty from Alsace) and tartiflette (a dish from Savoy in the French Alps) are his favorite go-to dishes when going back. | |
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Bryan went to high school at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Flagler County where he completed the International Baccalaureate program (IAB) and graduated suma cum laude. He loved soccer and track but his true passion lied elsewhere.
When still a Sophomore, he wanted to do an internship in a law firm but didn’t know who to reach out to. One conversation led to another and at age 16, with the support of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber, he founded the Junior Chamber of Commerce Florida (JCC Florida), a not-for-profit dedicated to enhancing students' futures and developing a robust talent pipeline by establishing connections between the education and professional worlds.
Bryan’s initial interest in the field of law was triggered by his international upbringing and continues being guided by a profound desire to effect positive change in his community and beyond. In 2022, he was admitted to Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale with a full scholarship and is studying towards a BS in Law. He plans to go to Law School and focus on international and corporate law.
| " I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying". Micheal Jordan | | | |
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EACC Florida is delighted to welcome Briddge Legal & Finance as a Corporate Member !
Briddge is head-quartered in The Netherlands and has joined all five EACC chapters in the United States.
Briddge is your one-stop solution offering broad client-oriented, tailor-made services for US-based companies that are planning to or have already expanded into Europe and The Netherlands. We can assist you in understanding all the requirements for getting established in Europe or many other solutions like acquiring only an EU-VAT number.
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We can provide all the expertise needed to start your company in the Netherlands successfully. We help manage every detail of your expansion and the running of your European operation.
Over the years, Briddge has delivered high-quality legal and financial services to our US-clients and from other parts of the world, from small to large companies, and active in various sectors from our offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague (the Netherlands), California and Tennessee (USA). By bringing together and combining a broad range of disciplines, such as accounting, corporate, immigration and employment law, HR, payroll, and tax, we are able to support our US-clients every step of the way, from setup to successful operation in Europe. With our 90+ associates we deliver all our services inhouse which creates efficiency and minimal red tape.
Info: https://www.briddge.com/
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EACC Florida is delighted to welcome Fakhoury Global Immigration as a Corporate Member !
Fakhoury Global Immigration (FGI) holds an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, representing the highest possible accolade for legal expertise and ethical standards, and is nationally acknowledged as a thought leader in corporate immigration. FGI’s proactive stance in keeping abreast of immigration laws establishes it as a trusted advisor for corporations navigating the complex, evolving landscape of immigration regulations.
With over a quarter-century of experience, FGI has provided clients, including Fortune 100 companies, with a full spectrum of legal immigration services, achieving consistently high rates of petition approvals through world-class service quality and innovative online case management technologies.
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The firm's technology-driven processes allow for competitive flat-fee rates across most of their legal services, bolstered by an ongoing commitment to cost competitiveness and enhanced performance standards.
FGI excels not only in managing thousands of labor certifications and H-1B and other sponsored petitions annually but also advocates for high-skilled workers by facilitating alternative pathways to employment-based green cards beyond the traditional labor certification route. This specialized department offers solutions like EB-1A Extraordinary Ability, EB-2 Schedule A, and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW), particularly tailored for professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). This strategic orientation is a critical component of FGI's efforts to adapt to legal changes, ensuring all types of clients find viable, sustainable options for living and working in the U.S.
Info: https://fakhouryglobal.com/
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EACC Florida is delighted to welcome FITLIGHT® as a Corporate Member!
Move. Measure. Motivate.
FITLIGHT® specializes in designing multi-sensory training technology applicable in a variety of industries that challenges the brain-body connection. In our quest to set the standard by which all others will be measured, we have embraced innovative technology creation of our FITLIGHT® products for all to enjoy in the pursuit of performance excellence.
Details: https://www.fitlighttraining.com/pages/about-us
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EACC Florida is delighted to welcome the Junior Chamber of Commerce Florida as a Corporate Member!
The Junior Chamber of Commerce (JCC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit education foundation providing Middle and High School students with education, fundamentals and life lessons to help positively impact their local communities and ensure a successful pathway to adulthood.
Details: https://jccflorida.com/about-us/
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NOW is the Perfect Time to Join!
Recommend EACC Florida to a Client or Business Partner
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EACC is a Connector
We open doors for our members across our chapter network on both sides of the Atlantic and we keep you informed on the relevant issues affecting your business.
Members of the EACC network enjoy:
♦ Access to our network of high-level business executives & our unique referral service
♦ Invitations to exclusive seminars & a direct exchange with transatlantic experts
♦ Visibility for your organization & opportunities to showcase your thought-leadership
♦ The ability to make a difference & actively engage in the Trans-Atlantic business dialogue
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Meet the EACC Network
Our Members are Part of Something Bigger
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Together with its sister chapters, EACC Florida is part of a growing and highly dynamic transatlantic network reaching over 10,000 executives in the US and across Europe. With over 750 members, the EACC is a valuable resource for any size business. If you would like to get involved, let us know.
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Founding Members / President's Circle | | | | |
