The Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) hosted the IV Meeting of National Committees for Trade Facilitation (CNFC), held in collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on November 26 and 27
The event, organized by the ALADI Department of Physical and Digital Integration, had the financial support of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).
Main objectives of the meeting were:
- Strengthening intergovernmental cooperation for the implementation of trade facilitation measures.
- Promoting digitalization, with an emphasis on advances in electronic health and phytosanitary documents (ePhyto and eVet), which are key to streamlining business processes.
- Promoting interoperability, addressing the challenges and benefits associated with the digitalization of systems and processes.
The digitalization of trade procedures and documents is crucial for governments and requires close collaboration in key areas such as interoperability, resource management, regulations and change management. According to the WTO, full implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) could reduce costs by 14,3% on average and generate a boost of 1 trillion dollars annually in global trade.
Renewed commitment: intergovernmental cooperation
To this end, the IV Meeting of National Committees for Trade Facilitation concluded with an optimistic outlook and a renewed commitment to strengthen intergovernmental cooperation in the implementation of measures to facilitate trade.
According to ALADI, the event has been fundamental in promoting the exchange of experiences and good practices among member countries. Over the two days, the challenges and advances in the Digitization of commercial procedures and documents, highlighting the case of sanitary and phytosanitary documents (ePhyto and eVet). Furthermore, the importance of interoperability and collaboration between governments, institutions and the private sector to ensure the success of these initiatives has been stressed, as well as the need for efficient management of resources.
ALADI highlighted that these initiatives create a space for collaboration among member countries, who will continue to promote actions related to the digitalization of documents. It also underlined its commitment to evaluate the status of implementation of electronic phytosanitary certification in each country, promoting the exchange of experiences on this topic.
It was reported that work will be carried out on carrying out specific studies and, together with the member countries, the adoption of this type of electronic certification will be promoted, promoting regional interoperability.
Finally, ALADI highlighted that "this will allow us to analyze the feasibility of developing initiatives similar to the digital certification of origin, successfully implemented in several member countries."
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
