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For Immediate Release: April 1, 2013
Contact: Lorri Crowley (202) 482-3809
Peace Through Commerce Medal Award Recipients Announced
Award recognizes promotion and improvement of U.S. trade relations
WASHINGTON -- Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez today announced the nine individuals and organizations that are recipients of the International Trade Administration’s 2012 Peace through Commerce Medal Award.
The award recognizes an individual, group, or organization, either domestic or abroad, whose actions have significantly promoted and developed U.S. export initiatives, encouraged innovative approaches, and improved overall U.S. trade relations.
“In our increasingly connected world, commercial diplomacy with our global partners is more important than ever before,” Sánchez said. “These Peace through Commerce Medal recipients have shown a commitment to strengthening our relationships through expanding trade, thus stimulating our economy and creating jobs here at home.”
The Peace through Commerce Medal dates back to the first Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, who commissioned the medal in 1790. Jefferson gifted the medal, formerly known as the Diplomatic Medal, to foreign diplomats who aided the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. The medal is most renowned for its inscription, To Peace and Commerce, centered along the top.
The 2012 Peace through Commerce Medal Award recipients are:
- American Chamber of Commerce in Japan; Tokyo
- American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore; Singapore
- Business Council for International Understanding; New York, N.Y.
- Werner Escher, Executive Director of Domestic and International Markets, South Coast Plaza; Costa Mesa, Calif.
- Global FoodBanking Network; Chicago, Ill.
- SC ICCO Energ SRL; Brasov, Romania
- Eugene J. Schreiber, World Trade Center of New Orleans; New Orleans, La. (Posthumous Award)
- Harley Seyedin, President, The American Chamber of Commerce in South China; Guangzhou, China
- SMN Investments; Kabul, Afghanistan
Additional information on the recipients.
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International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,100 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
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