Transatlantic Business Discusses the Election of Joe Biden and Economic Recovery after the Coronavirus Pandemic

"The German-American Partnership in the Next Decade" is the title of AmCham Germany’s 14th Transatlantic Business Conference, which will take place today in a virtual format


Berlin, November 12, 2020 – Representatives from business, politics, think tanks and the media will discuss the political and economic challenges of the 21st century at the 14th Transatlantic Business Conference of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany) this afternoon. In cooperation with the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and fellow cooperation partners Commerzbank and Deloitte, around 250 guests will attend the virtual conference. In addition to transatlantic relations, the outcome of the recent US presidential election and economic recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic will be at the forefront of the conference.

AmCham Germany’s member companies expect improvements in the transatlantic relationship

In addition, AmCham Germany is releasing the results of its recent survey on the outcome of the US presidential election today. In the survey, the majority of AmCham Germany’s members questioned indicated that the election of Joe Biden as 46th president of the United States would lead to an improvement in the transatlantic economic relationship (89%).

Likewise, 73% of the participants expect the election of Joe Biden to have a positive effect on the global economy. Ninety-five percent of respondents anticipate concrete political changes under the new administration. Among these, respondents believe a reaffirming commitment to global climate goals will be highly probable (87%).

More than half of those surveyed see the election results as a positive influence on the attractiveness of the US as a business location.

Constructive dialogue in transatlantic relations for economic recovery

‘’To solve the economic and political challenges of the 21st century, we need constructive dialogue in the transatlantic relationship,’’ states Frank Sportolari, President of AmCham Germany. ‘‘In order to remain competitive in the future, we must work together and deepen trade relations between the US and Germany again,’’ adds Sportolari, who, together with Dieter Kempf, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), will start the Transatlantic Business Conference.

‘‘Your business is not truly global if you don’t participate in the transatlantic market,” says Prof. Dieter Kempf, BDI President. “It is time to resolve our differences, strengthen our relationship and tackle the economic effects of the pandemic. German industry wishes for a re-start at eye-level. Our priority now, after the Trump era, must be to revive our relations and to rebuild trust,” concludes Kempf.

Shared Mission: Strengthen Connections between the US and Europe

Also speaking at the conference will be Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges and former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. "America and Europe share deep ties that connect our societies, economies, even families, beyond institutional relations. In these times of changes and challenges, any opportunity we have to strengthen those links is precious, and it is in everybody’s interest and responsibility to contribute to that shared mission,” says Mogherini.

Other speakers at the 14th Transatlantic Business Conference include Richard Burt, former US Ambassador to Germany and Managing Partner at McLarty Associates, Constanze Stelzenmüller, Senior Fellow – Foreign Policy at the Center of the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, Peter Albiez, CEO of Pfizer, Roland Boehm, Divisional Board Member Corporates International at Commerzbank, Thomas Schiller, Managing Partner Clients and Industries at Deloitte, Juliane Schäuble, US correspondent at Tagesspiegel and many others.

The conference will be moderated by Melinda Crane, a US journalist and publicist in Germany.

The detailed program including all keynote speakers can be found here.

You can follow the event on social media with the hashtag #TransatlanticBusinessConference or #tbc2020.

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Downloads:

Click here to download the press release in English and German.

The complete results of our flash survey on the US presidential election can be found here.

For more detailed information please contact:

Heather Liermann

Head of Department

Membership Engagement & Development