Taste, Tariffs & Sustainable Trade:
The Japan America Society of San Diego is excited to announce its inaugural event. Join us on March 26th as we launch this new organization dedicated to strengthening ties between the U.S. and Japan in the San Diego region, with an engaging panel discussion featuring three dynamic leaders at the intersection of international trade, logistics, and sustainability.
This event will delve into the complex and rapidly shifting landscape of food production, distribution, and consumption, with a special focus on the pivotal role of Japan and Japanese companies in the U.S. and Mexico. As tariff pressures mount, USMCA faces an uncertain future, and immigration policy reshapes the American consumer landscape, Japanese businesses are emerging as both resilient models and innovative leaders, adapting to new trade realities, deepening their roots in the U.S. and Latin American markets, and reimagining what sustainable, cross-border food distribution looks like when the rules of global commerce are being rewritten.
Our speakers will explore the specific challenges and opportunities facing the U.S.-Japan trade relationship, examine how tariffs, trade agreements, and shifting demographics influence food accessibility, market strategy, and logistics, and highlight the approaches Japanese firms are taking to build the next generation of durable, adaptive food chains across North America and beyond.
Jeffrey Shimamoto, drawing on over two decades of cross-cultural business experience between the U.S. and Japan, will share firsthand insights on the complexities of importing and exporting food across the Pacific and the real-world impact of trade policy and tariffs on business operations.
Devry Boughner Vorwerk will broaden the conversation to examine how evolving trade frameworks shape global sustainability in food and agriculture. Devry's areas of expertise are business development, trade and the intersection of sustainability in global commerce
John Stenderup will offer a supply chain perspective on how tariffs, shifting trade dynamics and the geopolitical climate create logistical challenges, particularly for perishable goods moving through complex cold chains.
Date & Time:
Thursday, March 26th from 6:00-8:30 PM PST
Venue: New Venture Escrow
Address: 3638 Camino Del Rio North
Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92108
Speakers:
Jeffrey Shimamoto, Chief Communications Officer at Day-Lee Foods, Inc. (Nipponham Group)\
John Stenderup, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Vektor Logistics
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Founder + CEO, Stewardverse Strategies
Moderator: Andrew Silberman, President, Japan America Society of San Diego
Refreshments: Catered by Day-Lee Foods, soft drinks and adult libations to be served.
Cost: Free
Event Schedule:
5:45-6:00 PM - Registration
6:00-6:30 PM - Networking & Light Refreshments
6:30-6:33 PM - Opening Remarks from Andrew Silberman
6:33-6:35 PM - Consul Tomoyuki Yamagata, Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles
6:35-6:45 PM - NAJAS Presentation by Andrew Wylegala
6:45-7:00 PM - Jeffrey Shimamoto, Day-Lee Foods
7:00-7:15 PM - John Stenderup, Vektor Logistics
7:15-7:30 PM - Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Stewardverse Strategies
7:30-7:40 PM - Moderator questions
7:40-7:50 PM - Q&A
7:50-7:55 PM - Masahiro Nishikawa, Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas
7:55-8:00 PM- Steven Sigafus, San Diego–Yokohama Sister City Society
8:00-8:30 PM - Networking & Light Refreshments