William Alan Reinsch

Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair in International Business
William Alan Reinsch

William Reinsch holds the Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is a senior adviser at Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP. Previously, he served for 15 years as president of the National Foreign Trade Council, where he led efforts in favor of open markets, in support of the Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation, against unilateral sanctions, and in support of sound international tax policy, among many issues. From 2001 to 2016, he concurrently served as a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He is also an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, teaching courses in globalization, trade policy, and politics.

Reinsch also served as the under secretary of commerce for export administration during the Clinton administration. Prior to that, he spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, most of them as senior legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz (R-PA) and subsequently to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies respectively.

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Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Optimizing Export Controls for Critical and Emerging Technologies

When it comes to export controls on critical and emerging technologies, the United States must focus on regulating items essential to national security while permitting the growth of industries that do not aid foreign military capabilities.

Report by William Alan Reinsch , Emily Benson , Thibault Denamiel , and Margot Putnam — May 31, 2023

William Alan Reinsch’s Commentary

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

China: Are We Doing Something Right?

The administration is facing a complex juggling act as it aims to chart a rational path for U.S.-China relations. 

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch — July 17, 2023

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Straw People

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch — July 11, 2023

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The Trade Guys

The Trade Guys

Trade experts Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch break down the buzz around trade, how it affects policy, and how it impacts your day-to-day. The Trade Guys is hosted every week by H. Andrew Schwartz at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.

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The Trade Guys

Acronyms Galore

On this episode of Trade Guys, we discuss the Biden administration’s meeting with top semiconductor companies, the IPEF round in Busan, and OECD Pillar Two. 

Podcast Episode by Scott Miller , William Alan Reinsch , and Thibault Denamiel — July 21, 2023

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

Waiting for Shrems

On this week's episode of Trade Guys, we discuss the EU-US data privacy framework, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit to China, and the International Maritime Organization meetings.

Podcast Episode by Thibault Denamiel , William Alan Reinsch , and Scott Miller — July 18, 2023

CSIS The Trade Guys

China: Are We Doing Something Right?

The administration is facing a complex juggling act as it aims to chart a rational path for U.S.-China relations. 

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch — July 17, 2023

Straw People

A classic debate technique is the straw man, an example of which emerged in June 29 remarks by Deputy National Security Adviser Mike Pyle at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as he argued that our trade policy is focused on investment rather than trade.

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch — July 11, 2023

The Florida-Mexico Tomato Dispute, Ripe for Tensions, Flares Up Again

The Florida Tomato Exchange’s request to terminate the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement is the latest development in a dispute that has lasted for almost three decades and encapsulates the sometimes-rocky trade relationship between the United States and Mexico.

Critical Questions by Thibault Denamiel and William Alan Reinsch — July 10, 2023

The Push for U.S.-EU Convergence on Economic Security Policy

Although the proof will be in the proverbial pudding, there are positive signs of growing transatlantic convergence between the United States and the European Union to come on economic security policy.

Critical Questions by Eric Meyers and William Alan Reinsch — July 7, 2023

The Trade Guys

Chips Wars: China Strikes Back

The Trade Guys discuss China's new export controls on gallium and germanium, the Biden Export Council's recommendations, and Mike Pyle's emphasis on investment instead of trade. 

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz , William Alan Reinsch , and Scott Miller — July 6, 2023

CSIS The Trade Guys

Potemkin Agreements

The Potemkin metaphor becomes apt when one examines the proliferation of cooperation agreements and committee structures that has become the core of U.S. trade policy during the Biden administration.

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch — July 5, 2023

The Trade Guys

EU Security, USMCA, and Modi

The Trade Guys discuss EU’s Draft Security Strategy, USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, and the Modi visit to the U.S..

Podcast Episode by Scott Miller , William Alan Reinsch , and Thibault Denamiel — June 29, 2023

CSIS The Trade Guys