Early on Monday, August 30th, we drove to the Red Tail Golf Club on Nagel Road in Avon to take in part of the 21st Annual Ryder Cup conducted by the British-American Chamber of Commerce.
For sure, the latter part of the day would be devoted to golf but in the morning, we were treated to an update on the progress of the US/UK Trade Agreement given by Mr. Alan Gogbashian, the British Consul General from Chicago who oversees a very sizable territory of fourteen states.
During his presentation, Mr. Gogbashian expressed optimism that an FTA will ultimately be negotiated that will benefit both the United Kingdom and the United States who have enjoyed a unique and productive relationship for decades. On this matter, talks began in 2020 and are expected to continue once the Biden administration reviews what has been drafted thus far.
We, of course, planned to ask a question pertaining to immigration but we didn’t mind it all when Ms. Elizabeth Cusma from Global Cleveland beat us to it when she asked about the possible creation of permits for US/UK professional workers comparable to TN visas pertaining to professionals from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Mr. Gogbashian readily agreed that improvement of US/UK business mobility was very important as was recognition of professional credentials. He indicated that there was not, at this time, a commitment to a vehicle to achieve this, but his attitude reflected a commitment to advancement.
