it's could have bill haslam with us. [applause] >> another -- another of america's great export success stories is caterpillar, the giant exporter of mining and construction equipment. doug oberhelman is the ceo. he is with us here today. [applause] >> capital is a great story that exports to the world but we also have a leader of a great european company that makes a great deal of stuff in the united states and we are proud to have ludwig willisch, the ceo of bmw north america is here with us. [applause] and and and his negotiated trade on both sides of the atlantic to the united states, because trade rep is ambassador michael froman. [applause] >> we're going to start with a few comments from each panelist. governor, we'll start with you. >> thank you. it's an honor to be a. i've been governor of tennessee for three years and one of the things people ask is what did you learn? the answer is a whole lot. but one of the quick things you learn is this. international trade agreements directly impact the job of the state go

trade representative michael froman, governor bill haslam of tennessee, ludwig willisch, the ceo of bmw north america, and doug oberhelman, the ceo of caterpillar. but i'm going to let the moderator go into a little more detail on each of our panelists. so let me introduce who will moderate today's panel. neil irwin is a "washington post" columnist and economic editor of them woke block, a widely read blog in the post. at the tragic you can get news on policy and analysis. neil is an author who has covered the federal reserve and let the post coverage of the financial crisis your ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our moderator, neil irwin. [applause] >> thanks so much to the quick introduction. we heard from the secretary. we been through an era in which trade deals where the small piecemeal things with individual companies -- countries. now we're in a moment where big overarching trade agreements are being negotiated across old oceans with europe and with trans-pacific partnership. we have a great panel to discuss those things. first, the governor of tennessee, bill h

first, bill haslam is from a state that has succeeded on the world stage as an exporter. pockmarked another of america's great success stories is caterpillar, the giant exporter of mining and construction equipments. doug oberhelman is the ceo with us today. [applause] caterpillars a great story of an american company of exports to the world. we also have the leader of the great european country that makes a great deal of stuff in the united states and we are proud to have -- under this all over again, ludwig willisch, ceo of bmw north america is still with us. [applause] the man who's negotiating these trade agreements on both sides of the atlantic tonight dates, the u.s. trade rep is ambassador michael froman. [applause] were going to start with a few comments from each panelist. governor, we'll start with you. >> thank you. it's not to be here. by the governor tennessee for three years. one thing people ask you is what have you learned. the answer is a whole lot. one other quick things you learn is this, international trade agreements directly impact the job of the sta