American Chamber of Commerce in South China

BGR Government Affairs represents the American Chamber of Commerce in South China as economic and political tensions between the two countries escalate.

In a 2021 white paper on the business environment in China, Chamber president Harley Seyedin noted the two countries have been locked in a bitter trade dispute since the beginning of the Trump presidency.

Each nation has imposed billions of dollars worth of tariffs on the other’s goods.

Seyedin said the relationship between the US and China has fallen to its lowest point since formal diplomatic ties were established more than 40 years ago.

The short-term prospect for an upswing in US and China ties is not good as president Biden has no immediate plans to lift the Trump tariffs and plans to pressure China to adhere to agreed-to trade pacts.

“We will use the full range of tools we have and develop new tools as needed to defend American economic interests from harmful policies and practices,” Katherine Tai, US Trade Representative, said Oct. 4 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

BGR provides strategic counsel on trade and other bilateral issues for AmCham.

It has Jonathan Mantz (national finance director for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign), Mark Tavlarides (director of legislative affairs for president Clinton’s National Security Council) and Loren Monroe (legislative aide to New Mexico Republican Senator Pete Domenici) working the AmCham account.