Global Trade at a Crossroads: Tariffs, Geopolitics, and the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
Speaker: Phil Levy, Economist and Former Senior U.S. Trade Official
Moderator: Venkat Veeramani, Chief Economist, Wintrust Financial
Program:
4:00 pm – Registration
4:30 pm – Welcome and Opening Remarks
4:45 pm – Opening Keynote
5:05 pm – Fireside Conversation. Followed by audience Q&A
5:30 pm – Global Partners Panel: Regional Outlooks
5:55 pm – Closing Remarks
6-7 pm – Networking Reception
Wines of Argentina
The IBC Global Trade Program 2026 will examine the transformative forces shaping global commerce amid economic, political, and technological change. Attendees will gain insight into emerging risks, strategic opportunities, and structural shifts redefining the global trade landscape through a keynote address, a moderated fireside conversation, and a global partners panel.
The program will open with registration, followed by welcome remarks and a keynote presentation that will analyze the global economic outlook for 2026, highlighting U.S. fiscal and political uncertainty, rising debt, and evolving trade policies. The fireside conversation will explore U.S. tariffs, geopolitical fragmentation, global supply chain reconfiguration, de-dollarization, and the expanding role of artificial intelligence in trade and investment, alongside challenges related to climate and energy transitions. Discussions will also address the U.S. economic performance under the current administration, the 2026 trade and legislative agenda, emerging global trade power blocs, the intersection of trade and national security, and the impact of automation and AI on productivity, governance, and workforce planning.
The program will conclude with a Global Partners Panel providing regional perspectives from Europe, Latin America, ASEAN, Asia, and the USMCA region, followed by closing remarks and a networking reception featuring Wines of Argentina.