Commercial Diplomacy for U.S. Tech Exports

Why It Matters

Strengthening commercial diplomacy and market readiness in emerging economies could accelerate U.S. exports, deepen geopolitical ties, and give American firms a competitive edge in shaping critical infrastructure and technology standards globally.

Summary

U.S. commercial diplomacy is being reframed as a strategic engine for export growth to the Global South, but its success depends on addressing on-the-ground business environment constraints—policy, standards, workforce and infrastructure—that determine whether deals reach execution. At a CSIS Future Summit panel, private-sector leaders from Chevron, Cisco and ADM argued that commercial diplomats play a key role connecting U.S. companies with foreign governments and partners, while companies themselves act as day-to-day ambassadors by hiring locally and financing projects. Panelists highlighted sector-specific opportunities—from reliable energy and new-energy projects to digital connectivity and sustainable agriculture—while stressing the need for aligned policy frameworks, development finance and long-term partnerships. They urged U.S. government and industry coordination, including programs such as AI export initiatives, to expand market access and unlock investment pipelines.

Original Description

Join us for an episode of Betting on America, recorded at the CSIS Futures Summit. Navin Girishankar moderates the panel "U.S. Commercial Diplomacy Through the Lens of the Private Sector," joined by Cynthia Conner, Senior Manager for International Policy at Chevron; Nicole Issac, Vice President of Global Public Policy at Cisco; and Katherine F. Pickus, Chief Sustainability Officer at ADM. They discuss where U.S. commercial interests and countries’ development goals come together, the constraints U.S. companies face in emerging markets, what effective commercial diplomacy looks like, and why getting this right matters.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

---------------------------------------------

A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world.

Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve

Follow CSIS on:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/