CalChamber merges with CCIT to form free trade lobbying group

The California Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will join the California Council for International Trade (CCIT) and form a new lobbying organization it plans to call “California Chamber of Commerce Council for International Trade”. According to a press release issued by the Chamber: “The CalChamber Council for International Trade will boost the ability of California businesses and organizations to advocate sound international business policies by bringing together the two leading trade policy organizations in the state to form a single unified group of business leaders on international issues”.

The California Chamber, a business association with close ties to the Schwarzenegger administration, has taken a position that “enthusiastically supports free trade worldwide”. Allan Zaremberg, CalChamber president and chief executive officer said in a statement: “We are at a historic time to take action on several free trade agreements pending before Congress, the merged CalChamber Council for International Trade will enhance our ongoing work with state and federal administrations and lawmakers to influence international business policies that support California’s global success, job creation and sustainability.”

The California Council for International Trade is a trade policy lobbying group that has been around for decades but in recent years has been less active and far less dynamic. Its primary activity has been organizing a yearly resort meeting with Federal and State elected officials to discuss trade policy, and has been held together by Wells Fargo and a few other large corporations. A search of the Internet to find more information about CCIT for this story found that it may no longer exist. Their old web address “ccit.net” now redirects to the CalChamber website and it is not clear if any part of that association is still active, or if it has been completely absorbed by the California Chamber of Commerce.