More TLC? Trade-Labor Connections in the New Global Order
Join GLI’s day-long 2025 conference, which will focus on the state of labor standards and work in the new era of global trade. What does the landscape of trade policy look like in the Trump era? How will forced labor affect U.S. and E.U. trade actions? We will discuss those topics and more.
When & Where
Date & Time
Location
ILR NYC Conference Center
570 Lexington Avenue
12th floor
New York, NY 10022
United States
Overview
Please join us in New York City on Thursday, December 4, for a day-long conference on the state of labor standards and work in the new era of global trade.
What does pro-worker trade policy look like now, and post-Trump? How will forced labor figure in U.S. and E.U. trade actions? We will take up these topics and more in our familiar style—top analysis, lively debate and an audience of policymakers, corporate and labor leaders, investors, researchers and campaigners. The event includes a light breakfast, lunch, and a reception.
Date: December 4, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Location: ILR NYC Conference Center
Cost: $100 USD/ticket
Never been here? Here are agendas, round-ups and photos from our 2022 and 2024 conferences.
Agenda
8:30 - 9 A.M.
Registration, breakfast and welcome
9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Session One: W(h)ither trade and labor in the new era of global trade?
- Amb. Katherine Tai, former U.S. Trade Representative (2021-2025)
- Stephen Vaughn, former acting U.S. Trade Representative and General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative
- Kelly Fay Rodríguez, GLI Visiting Fellow and former Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of State (2022 – 2025)
- Prof. Sheng Lu, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware
Session Two: Tariff Act at 10: China and the future of forced labor enforcement
- Laura Murphy, Senior Associate at CSIS and former senior policy advisor at U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2023 – 2025)
- Daniel Murphy, researcher (New York Times and Bureau of Investigative Journalism series) and co-founder of China risk advisory firm Pamir
- Josh Kagan, Special Counsel, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, and former Assistant USTR for Labor Affairs at the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Office of Labor Affairs
- Samira Rafaela, former MEP and GLI Visiting Fellow
- Thea Lee, Distinguished Visiting Practitioner at American University and former Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs in the Department of Labor (2021 – 2025)
Session Three: Coalition of the Unwilling: Private-sector vs public regulation
- Colin Browne, President and Chief Operating Officer at David Yurman and former Under Armor interim CEO and COO, and Cascale CEO
- Maria Mexi, GLI Visiting Fellow and Research Fellow at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy, Geneva Graduate Institute
- Kalpona Akter, Founder and Executive Director, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity
- Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability, North America, Schroders.
- Sarah Krasley, GLI Visiting Fellow and founder of Shimmy Technologies
5 P.M. - 6:30 P.M
Reception