| U.S.
Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez among distinguished
speakers at IAPH Conference
A distinguished lineup of speakers,
including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos
M. Gutierrez, Panama Canal Authority CEO
Alberto Aléman Zubieta and Spoornet Chief
Executive Siyabonga Gama,
will address global economic and transportation issues
at the 25th International Association of Ports and Harbors
(IAPH) World Ports Conference in Houston’s Hilton
Americas Hotel.
 Gutierrez,
one of the architects of the CAFTA-DR trade agreement,
is the keynote speaker at a May 1 luncheon held for
the conference attendees. He will discuss new U.S. free
trade agreements and their local and global economic
impact. Secretary Gutierrez is responsible for a Commerce
Department with more than 38,000 employees and a $6.5
billion budget. Additional individual $100 tickets will
soon be available for online purchase only. Check the
registration
page on the conference Web site for more information.
 On
May 3, Aléman will
provide an overview of an historic plan for the $5.25
billion Panama Canal expansion project during the morning
work session of the conference. He will address the
project’s impact on global trade, environmental
considerations and its financial feasibility. Last fall,
Aléman received approval from Panama voters to
proceed with the project.
 During
the afternoon working session on May 3, Gama
is set to address conference attendees on how
railway corridor projects can strengthen logistical
functions of ports. Gama is the CEO of Spoornet, the
rail division of Transnet, South Africa’s operator
transport infrastructure, and serves as the president
of the Union of African Railways.
|
