Washington, D.C., January 15, 2020 – SIFMA today released the following statement from Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA president and CEO, regarding signing of the agreement between the United States and China on a phase one trade deal. Mr. Bentsen attended the agreement signing ceremony at the White House.

“SIFMA welcomes this historic trade and investment agreement between the United States and China. We commend the Trump administration for its focus on securing this critical outcome and recognizing the vital importance of financial services in the bilateral relationship. SIFMA has long supported the globalization of China’s capital markets. We will examine this agreement closely including what it specifically means for our members in terms of its implementation and enforcement.”

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SIFMA is the leading trade association for broker-dealers, investment banks and asset managers operating in the U.S. and global capital markets. On behalf of our industry’s nearly 1 million employees, we advocate for legislation, regulation and business policy, affecting retail and institutional investors, equity and fixed income markets and related products and services. We serve as an industry coordinating body to promote fair and orderly markets, informed regulatory compliance, and efficient market operations and resiliency. We also provide a forum for industry policy and professional development. SIFMA, with offices in New York and Washington, D.C., is the U.S. regional member of the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA). For more information, visit http://www.sifma.org.