ROGERS, Ark. – The World Trade Center Arkansas is inviting members of the Arkansas business community to attend a briefing by diplomats from Canada and Mexico on the status of North American trade from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Attendees will have the chance to engage the officials in a question and answer session at the end of the briefing.

Dignitaries and officials to speak at the event include:      

• Carlton Saffa, senior strategist for Gov. Asa Hutchinson
• Vasken Khabayan, the consul general of Canada in Dallas
• Fernando Marti, trade and investment commissioner of ProMexico in Dallas
• Rodolfo Quilantan-Arenas, consul general of Mexico in Little Rock

“This event will provide a unique opportunity for the Arkansas business community to hear important updates and engage with the diplomatic officials of our most important trading partners,” said Melvin Torres, director of Western Hemisphere trade for the World Trade Center Arkansas. “Canada and Mexico are Arkansas’ most important trading partners with one-third of all our exports going to those countries, according to the latest reports from the U.S. Census Bureau.”

Canada and Mexico receive $2.2 billion in goods and services from Arkansas, and trade with these countries supports nearly 120,000 Arkansas jobs. Arkansas exports have increased by 700 percent since 1993, and imports from Canada support many of Arkansas’ most important industries, including agriculture, transportation, chemicals and forestry products.

For more information about this event or the opportunity to engage with these officials, email Torres at melvint@arwtc.org. People interested in attending can register for the event here.

About the World Trade Center Arkansas: The mission of the World Trade Center Arkansas is to grow trade and increase Arkansas exports by connecting Arkansas businesses to the world through international trade services. The Center is part of the University of Arkansas and serves as the trade promotion arm for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. For more information and valuable updates, please follow the Center on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to the World Trade Center Arkansas newsletter.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.