Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Date
May 7–8, 2025
Utah’s Global State of Mind
More than 1,000 business leaders, policymakers, and global experts gathered for the Crossroads of the World International Trade Summit, hosted by Zions Bank and World Trade Center Utah, on May 7–8 to navigate global shifts with purpose and clarity.
Business at the center
Panels featuring Cotopaxi, Coupang, PMI Foods, Skullcandy, Traeger, Varex Imaging, and Wavetronix highlighted how Utah companies are adapting to global volatility — emphasizing supplier communication, brand clarity, and steady leadership. “It wasn’t tariffs and trade that got you here. It was product and brand,” said Traeger’s Jeremy Andrus.
South Korea–based Coupang discussed e-commerce growth in Asia, sharing how the company’s customer-first mindset continues to drive success in South Korea — the world’s fourth-largest e-commerce market — as well as in Japan and Taiwan. “We don’t spend time thinking about the competition. We focus on what the customer wants, and if you create something no one else has, they’ll come,” said Coupang’sHL Rogers.
Leaders from Zions Bancorporation, Zions Bank, and WTC Utah reinforced how trusted relationships and the right resources — including foreign exchange services and SBA STEP grants — can help businesses reduce risk and expand globally. “We can’t change international trade policy through the bank, but we can help people weather it thoughtfully,” said Michael MacDonald from Zions Capital Markets.
The global lens
Former U.S. secretaries of state Antony Blinken, Mike Pompeo, and Condoleezza Rice along with prime ministers Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand) Theresa May (United Kingdom), and Kevin Rudd (Australia) — and current ambassador to the U.S. — each took the stage to share insights on trust, diplomacy, and the shifting global order. Their perspectives framed the moment and reinforced Utah’s growing role on the world stage. Japan’s former national security advisor Shigeru Kitamura joined Strider Technologies to spotlight economic and security trends shaping global trade.
Utah on the world stage
New trade data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute showed Utah exported $18.2B in goods to 201 countries and imported $21.9B from 154 countries. International trade supported 70,000+ jobs, added nearly $8B to Utah’s GDP, and accounted for 3% of total economic output.
“Trade is not a spectator sport. We’re all involved in it.”
“Utah is not simply a state participating in the global economy. We are a model for how small and medium-sized companies can thrive despite challenges.”
Gov. Spencer Cox closed with a call for continued global engagement: “We’re better off when we engage our partners (and) our allies across the world.”