2023 Washington Trade Symposium

Laurie-Ann Agama

Acting Assistant USTR for Textiles,
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama serves as the Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles. In this capacity, she is responsible for advising the U.S. Trade Representative on textile and apparel trade policy matters, conducting and overseeing negotiations affecting textile and apparel products, and working to expand the industry’s access to foreign markets.

Dr. Agama has over twenty years of experience with the U.S. government.  She has served as the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Economic Affairs in the Office of Trade Policy and Economics since 2012. In this role, she has led USTR’s strategic planning processes and provided economic advice for the development of U.S. trade policy and its implementation, and bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations.  She also conducted statistical and economic analyses for dispute settlement cases and to resolve various trade policy and investment-related issues.

She joined USTR in 2004 serving as a Director in the Office of African Affairs. In that role, she supported the development of bilateral and multilateral initiatives to enhance U.S. trade and investment relations with the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including the implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Prior to her work at USTR, Dr. Agama served as an International Economist within the Office of Economics at the United States International Trade Commission from 2001 to 2004, where she conducted economic research analyses and provided trade advice to the USTR and Congress.  She was an adjunct professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio from 1998 to 2001.

Dr. Agama holds Masters and Doctorate degrees in Economics from McGill University, is a recipient of USTR’s Superior Achievement Award and is an International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) Fellow.

Jennifer Knight

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials

Industry and Analysis

 As the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials (TCGM), Jennifer Knight oversees the Office of Textiles and Apparel, the Office of Materials Industries and the Office of Consumer Goods within the International Trade Administration’s Industry and Analysis unit.

Dr. Sheng Lu

Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies

University of Delaware

Dr. Sheng Lu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware. He also serves as a consultant for the International Trade Centre (ITC) co-run by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN). With over 70 publications in academic and trade journals, Dr. Lu’s research focuses on the economic and business aspects of the textile and apparel industry, including international trade, trade policy, and the governance of the global apparel value chain. Dr. Lu received the 2014 Rising Star Award and 2019 Mid-Career Excellence Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) to recognize his research and teaching excellence. He is also the multiple-time recipient of the Paper of Distinction Award at the ITAA annual conferences for his study on the textile and apparel specific-sectoral impact of mega free trade agreements. Several of his studies were cited by government reports such as the Congressional Research Service (CRS) studies prepared for members of U.S. Congress, U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) official assessment on the economic impacts of free trade agreements as well as the World Bank, International Labor Organization, and the United Nations research publications. Dr. Lu’s published works also have been translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Thai and regularly featured by the media outlet.

John Pellegrini

Customs Consultant
U.S. Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)

Until January 2020, Mr. Pellegrini, who is no longer a member of the bar, was Senior Counsel at McGuireWoods LLP where his clients included multinationals, general merchandise retailers, importers, exporters, domestic and foreign manufacturers, commission agents, trade associations, and international marketing companies. Mr. Pellegrini’s practice focused on the regulatory and commercial aspects of international trade. He provided assistance with respect to government regulation of the import-export trade, duty planning, admissibility requirements, litigation in the United States Court of International Trade, representation before the various federal agencies that regulate trade in the United States, and the commercial aspects of international trade.

Avedis H. Seferian

President & CEO
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)

Avedis H. Seferian joined WRAP in 2004 and became its President and CEO in 2012. He has extensive knowledge of social responsibility issues within the highly complex worldwide supply chains of the apparel, textile and footwear sectors. A recognized expert in the area of social compliance and responsible sourcing, Mr. Seferian was named by Assent Compliance as one of the Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leaders for 2020. He often speaks on topics in this field at different forums around the world and has contributed to many leading trade publications and news outlets. Mr. Seferian is the Chairman of the Executive Board (and a member of the Stakeholder Board) of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and sits on the Impartiality Committees of several audit organizations; he also served on the Board of Advisors of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety.

Mr. Seferian began his career working for a business research and development organization before migrating over to legal research. Prior to joining WRAP, he was with a small law firm in Washington, DC. Mr. Seferian has also taught in various capacities in the business and legal arenas, including as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland University College. He speaks five languages, has lived in four countries and holds three degrees from three continents - a Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University in India; an MBA from the American University of Armenia; and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in the United States, where he was a Law Fellow and made the Dean’s List.

Mr. Seferian is a member of the American Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar. He resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and their 2 sons.

David Spooner

USFIA Washington Counsel

Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP

David M. Spooner is a partner in the Corporate Department in Barnes & Thornburg’s Washington, D.C., office.  Mr. Spooner represents governments, trade associations, and corporate clients on international trade matters, including trade remedies, trade policy and customs issues.  He uses his past experience as a high-level political appointee in the Executive Branch and on Capitol Hill to assist clients with their advocacy efforts before both branches of government, as well as before foreign governments.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Spooner served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration.  In that capacity, Mr. Spooner led U.S. Government enforcement of trade remedy laws, principally the antidumping and anti-subsidy laws.  He administered the Foreign Trade Zone system; oversaw apparel trade policy and the implementation of laws governing trade in apparel; managed trade remedy negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as dispute resolution proceedings at the WTO; chaired U.S.-China talks on macroeconomic reforms and the steel industry; and supervised the US Department of Commerce’s import safety initiatives.

Prior to his Senate confirmation as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Spooner served as the Chief Textile and Apparel Negotiator and Transition Coordinator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).  While at USTR, he was a principal negotiator for free trade agreements with Central America, the Dominican Republic, Singapore, Australia, Chile, Panama, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Colombia and Peru, principally negotiating customs enforcement, apparel and textile, origin and safeguard provisions.  He was heavily involved in building support for congressional passage of the Bush Administration’s trade agenda.  Mr. Spooner also negotiated a comprehensive apparel trade agreement with China and concluded bilateral customs and quota arrangements with several nations.

Before his appointment to USTR, Mr. Spooner worked on Capitol Hill, managing the Washington D.C. office and serving as the legislative director and press secretary for a member of Congress, serving as Communications Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and working for the U.S. House Committee on Rules, which manages debate and amendments in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Spooner earned his J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.

He is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., and Virginia and before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Erin Williamson

Senior Director of Customs Brokerage Product
GEODIS USA

Erin