The analysts who worked on the U.S. International Trade Commission’s report on Apparel: Export Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the United States will join USFIA to discuss their country travels and their findings.
Alissa Tafti
Alissa Tafti is a specialist in international trade, agriculture, and economics. She is currently a Senior International Economist in the Office of Industries and Competitive Analysis’s Agriculture and Fisheries Division at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), where she focuses on international trade in agricultural goods, and previously spent five years in the USITC’s Office of Economics. At the USITC, Alissa’s work has covered a wide range of current international trade issues, including the impact of pesticide maximum residue limits on global agricultural production and trade, the competitiveness of the cotton sector in sub-Saharan Africa, the trade impacts of U.S. restrictions on Cuba, and the impacts of India’s domestic and trade policies on the U.S. economy. Prior to working in international trade, Alissa worked in international development at the Institute for State Effectiveness (ISE), an international development NGO. At ISE, she worked with President Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart on strengthening fragile states, with a focus on Afghanistan. Before moving to Washington DC, Alissa spent several years working in the film industry in Los Angeles. Alissa has an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with an Economic Policy Specialization and a B.A. in Philosophy and Comparative Literature from New York University.
Junie Joseph
Junie Joseph is an international trade analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) and an International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) Fellow. She specializes in financial services, distributional effects of trade and trade policy, development, and macro-labor economics. At the USITC, Junie has also contributed to and led studies on a variety of trade topics, such as apparel export competitiveness, U.S. trade agreements, trends in services trade, and U.S. trade remedies. Prior to joining the USITC, Junie researched the implications of trade remedies on economies and labor markets at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, working closely with Chad P. Bown. Junie received a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics the University of Florida and M.A. in Economics from Cornell University.
Elizabeth Howlett
Elizabeth Howlett is an International Trade Analyst in the Chemicals and Textiles Division at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). She is currently on the textiles and apparel team, with previous experience at the USITC as an analyst for the chemical industry (1996-2000). She was an author on the USITC’s AGOA study and recently wrote an independent research article on textile recycling. Elizabeth graduated with a Master’s in International Affairs from George Washington University.
Mary Roop
Mary Roop is an International Trade Analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) specializing in the global trade dynamics of the textiles and apparel industries. Since her start at the USITC in 2016, she has conducted comprehensive research on industry competitiveness, trade policies, and preferential trade programs, including rules of origin, using her technical knowledge of domestic and foreign textile industries, commodities and markets, and economic policies. She has worked extensively with stakeholders throughout the apparel, footwear, and home goods supply chains and her work has contributed to the USITC’s reports on U.S. preference programs, particularly on the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Prior to her work at the USITC, Mary graduated from American University with a master’s degree in international development and served as Peace Corps Volunteer.
Katherine Stubblefield
Katherine Stubblefield is an International Trade Analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) specializing in textiles and apparel with extensive experience in international trade research and analysis. She has been an author for several USITC studies, on topics such as PPE, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and triacetate filament yarns. She recently completed a temporary assignment as Director for the Caribbean at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Previous to her role at the USITC she worked at Husch Blackwell LLP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Katherine graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a B.S. in International Relations and a Master’s in International Affairs