Agenda
7:00 AM: Booth Set-up Starts
8:00 AM: Registration Opens
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM: Breakfast, Welcome & Morning Keynote
9:45 AM – 10:00 AM: Refreshment Break, Proceed to Breakout Sessions
10:00 AM: Breakout Sessions A1 & A2
11:00 AM – 11:10 AM: Refreshment Break, Proceed to Breakout Sessions
11:10 AM: Breakout Sessions: B1 & B2
12:30 AM: Luncheon Registration Opens, Buffet Luncheon and Panel Discussion
2:00 PM: Dessert Reception, Networking, Trade Exhibition
2:30 PM: Conference Concludes
Keynote Presentations
Morning Keynote
“Navigating the Changing World Order: Implications for the Economy and Markets“
Matthew T. Brennan, CFA
Chief Investment Strategist at Fulton Private Bank/Fulton Financial Advisors
Matt joined Fulton Private Bank and Fulton Financial Advisors in 2014. Prior to his current role as Chief Investment Strategist and Director of Institutional Investments, Matt served as a portfolio manager and senior investment strategist for the firm Whether working with high net worth individuals and families or as the leader of our non-profit services team working with charitable organizations, foundations, and endowments, Matt focuses on helping our team create investment solutions that are tailored to fit the unique circumstances and needs of our clients. Matt plays an integral role in helping to shape Fulton’s best thinking as it relates to the economy and markets and produces much of the firm’s public analysis and commentary. He is a frequently requested speaker on markets, the economy, and geopolitics. Prior to joining Fulton Financial Advisors, Matt spent three years with F&M Trust Company, where he was an Assistant Vice President in the firm’s Investment and Trust Services department. He started his investment career as a research analyst at Lyster Watson and Co., a hedge fund of funds group based in New York City. Matt was a National Merit Scholarship recipient at the University of Chicago, where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science. He holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA ®) and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Philadelphia.
Luncheon Panel Discussion
Join us for a dynamic panel discussion with a focus on pressing global issues
including geopolitical change, tariffs, economic isolation, and more.
Meet our distinguished speakers:
Geoff Gartshore joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1991. Among other positions at Headquarters, he was the director of the United Nations Division from 2012 to 2015, deputy director of the Human Security Program and a policy coordinator, Summit of the Americas, in the Inter-American Division. Positions overseas have included counsellor at the Embassy to Afghanistan, deputy permanent representative at the Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, counsellor at the Embassy to Mexico and consul at the Embassy to El Salvador. More recently, he served as head of the political and economic section at the Embassy in Germany, and from February 2022 to August 2024 he was Ambassador of Canada to Cuba. In August 2024 he took up his duties as Deputy Consul General of Canada in New York.
Born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, Carlos Obrador has a degree in International Relations, graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. He has pursued several seminars in the North American region; International Law; Foreign Policy of Mexico; Consular Protection; Consular Services and Cultural issues.
Carlos Obrador is a career member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 1993. He was Head of the Department of Consular Protection of Mexicans in Canada until 1997, Head of the Mexican Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program at the Consulate General of Mexico in Toronto, Head of the Office of Trade Promotion and Tourism at the Embassy of Mexico in Canada.
At the Consulate of Mexico in Eagle Pass he served as Deputy Consul (2009-2011), Deputy Consul and Cultural Attaché at the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston (2012-2014), Deputy Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (August 2014 – June 2016). He served as the Head Consul of Mexico in Del Rio, Texas, from June 2016 to October 2019. As of November 1, 2019 he serves as the Head Consul of Mexico in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jens Pohlmann, Counselor Trade Policy at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC: Before coming to Washington, DC, Jens served at the foreign investment division at the German Ministry of Economic Affairs, where he was responsible for Germany’s investment guarantee scheme. Jens was instrumental in the reorientation of the program to further Germany’s de-risking and diversification objectives. Besides serving in several functions at the international commerce department, Jens was seconded to task forces developing Germany’s Energy Price Cap after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine and setting up a Business Relief Program during Corona pandemic. Before joining the German administration as a civil servant in 2017 Jens worked as a management consultant. He studied economics and international relations in Maastricht, Berkeley and Berlin.
Moderator: David Briel, Deputy Secretary, Office of Intl. Business Development, PA Dept of Community & Economic Development
David Briel oversees a team of 12 economic development specialists and a network of 18 overseas authorized representatives, whose mission is to assist Pennsylvania companies with their export strategies and execution as well as attract foreign direct investment to locate in the commonwealth. Annually BusinessPA works with & 700 companies on export as well as & 100 international companies considering establishing operations in the Commonwealth. David works closely with the Regional Export Network and other economic development organizations throughout Pennsylvania to help create employment brought forth by international trade and investment, a key component of Pennsylvania’s economy. There are more than 5,600 foreign-owned companies in Pennsylvania that employ 365,000 people; Pennsylvania exports worldwide total $53.2 billion
Breakouts
Breakout Session Topics and Schedule
10:00 – 11:00 | Breakout Sessions A1 and A2 |
A1: Classification Under the Harmonized System & Determination A2: Foreign Trade Zone 147 |
11:10- 12:30 | Breakout Sessions B1 and B2 |
B1: Knowing Your Customer, the End Use, User & Destination
B2: Export Financing – Presented by Experts from the EXIM Bank, |
A1 – Classification Under the Harmonized System & Determination of Duty
Bob Imbriani, Executive Vice President-International, Team Worldwide
- Understand the structure of the Harmonized System
- Master the general Rules of Interpretation, General Notes and Trade Preference Provisions to correctly classify your imports for advantageous duty rates
- Learning how product modification, trade agreements, and preference programs can reduce rates of duty
- Learn how to obtain classification ruling from USCBP
- Learn what “tools” are out there to assist with your classification process
- Obtain an understanding of the new tariffs being applied by the current administration
A-2: Foreign Trade Zone 147
Randy P. Campbell, President and CEO of Campbell Trade Group Inc.
Why Attend?
- Save on Duties & Tariffs – Learn how FTZs can reduce or eliminate customs duties on imported goods.
- Improve Cash Flow – Understand how deferring duty payments can boost your bottom line.
- Increase Global Competitiveness – Find out how FTZs help companies stay competitive in international markets while operating from U.S. soil.
What You Will Learn:
- What a Foreign Trade Zone is and how it works
- Key benefits of using an FTZ, including real-world savings examples
- How the FTZ process works from application to activation
- How an FTZ can provide relief in today’s changing tariff environment
- Q&A with FTZ Expert and FTZ 147 Administrator Randy Campbell and Greater Reading Chamber Alliance economic development team
B-1: Knowing Your Customer, the End Use, User & Destination
Bob Imbriani, Executive Vice President-International, Team Worldwide
One of the most important export controls and one that applies to all exports and exporters is knowing the end user, use and destination. You must employ an aggressive process of due diligence to insure there is no reason not to proceed with a transaction.
Not taking reasonable steps to gather relative information and/or ignoring Red Flags can have serious consequences.
This program will provide an overview of best practices and the various steps that can be taken to insure compliance.
B-2: “Export Financing – Hear from EXIM Bank, Small Business Administration & Fulton Bank”
Regina Gordin, EXIM Bank, Abigail Martinez, SBA and Joe Flaim, Fulton Bank
- Offer competitive financing rates to your customers to help close the sale
- Use risk mitigation tools from your bank, like export letters of credit, documentary collections, and foreign exchange
- Utilize export credit insurance to protect against buyer non-payment, insure foreign receivables, minimize risk, and offer extended credit terms to your buyers
- Obtain working capital loans to provide capital for inventory, hiring, and performance bonds to support export sales orders and free up needed capital
Speakers
Bob Imbriani has been in the international/domestic transportation and logistics field for over four decades. He has held various senior executive positions with major U.S. Customs brokers/freight forwarders. He is currently Executive Vice President, International for Team Worldwide. Mr. Imbriani is a well-known speaker and educator in the areas of trade compliance, contract negations, transportation, logistic/supply chain solutions, customs brokerage, trade development and financial services. He is an adjunct professor in these areas at Baruch College and Pace University in New York.
Randy Campbell is the President and CEO of Campbell Trade Group Inc. The firm, now in its 22nd year, provides consulting and administration services to foreign-trade zones in the United States as well as free zone projects around the world. Campbell Trade Group, Inc. is the Administrator for FTZ 147 in Southcentral Pennsylvania and FTZ 8 in Toledo, Ohio. The firm also provides services to facilitate the movement of trade to and from the U.S. through consultation and trade seminars. Mr. Campbell has advised companies in the United States, Spain, France, and South Africa. He has worked with representatives of the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the governments of the United States, Spain, Panama, Aruba, Columbia, and South Africa.
Regina Gordin joined EXIM Bank in November of 2009 and is the Deputy Managing Director, Eastern Region. Prior to joining the Bank, Regina spent seven years as Senior Vice President at Broad Street Capital Group, where she originated and managed a wide variety of international project finance and export finance transactions. Before joining Broad Street she was a VP and Senior Financial Advisor at Wachovia, The Bank of New York and Merrill Lynch’s Private Client Group. Regina holds a BBA in Finance from The Wharton School and an MSOD in Global Management and Leadership from the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Joe Flaim joined Fulton Financial Corporation in 2005 and is currently Vice President, Sales representing Fulton’s international banking products and services throughout Fulton’s five state footprint. Along with Fulton’s FX Traders and Letter of Credit/Trade Specialists, he reviews client’s international transactions and offers solutions to help them expand their business, mitigate risk, and make them more profitable.
Before transitioning to a sales role in 2017, Joe supported customers as a Trade Finance Officer with Fulton. Working within the operations and sales support team, he was responsible for issuing, negotiating, and processing Commercial Letters of Credit, Standby Letters of Credit, Documentary Collections and Trade Finance Lines of Credit. As an international trade finance subject matter expert, he frequently presents seminars on the subject at local business events.
Prior to joining Fulton Financial Corporation, Joe worked for 15 years as an Ocean Export Manager for two, different Philadelphia area Freight Forwarders. In addition to handling cargo movements, Joe prepared and presented documents to banks for payment under Letters of Credit and Documentary Collections. Joe holds a B.A. in Marketing and a minor in Business Logistics from Penn State University.
Abby Martinez is the Export Finance Manager for SBA’s Office of International Trade serving the New York and New Jersey markets. In this role, she is responsible for business development and lender outreach efforts.
In addition, Abby has over 25 years of experience as a trade specialist in the banking industry working at global, regional and community banks. Throughout her career, she has specialized in traditional bank trade solutions as well as Trade Finance solutions. She has worked directly with government-guaranteed programs as well as insured receivables financing and supply chain financing to provide solutions to exporters on ways to grow their international business and maximize their working capital.
Abby is bilingual and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Florida International University with a double major in International Business and Management.
Exhibitors
Visit the Trade Exhibition during the networking times before the luncheon program and during the Dessert Reception to learn more about the expertise and services of our local trade experts.
2025 Trade Conference Exhibitors (to date):
- Fulton Bank International Group
- MANTEC
- Office of International Business Development
- U.S. Commercial Service – Harrisburg Office
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- EXIM Bank
- FTZ 147
Showcase your firm as a premier resource!
Download the Sponsor & Exhibitor Information
Sponsors
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.