The Customs Brokers Center of the Argentine Republic celebrated its 108th anniversary and Customs Broker Day in a virtual event marked by participation, federalism and the presence of associates, who today number more than 3800 people, in addition to prominent national and international foreign trade authorities.
During the event, numerous CDA members were recognized for their 40 and 50 years of uninterrupted service. The lifetime customs brokers were also recognized for their work, a distinction that is awarded on each anniversary to those who have been part of the institution for 30 years. As a novelty, the oldest foreign trade entity in Latin America presented the new customs brokers, in addition to remembering those who have passed away.
Enrique Loizzo, president of the CDA, highlighted the role of customs brokers as essential subjects during the Covid-19 pandemic. In these circumstances, they fulfill the mission of providing the highest level of service in the logistics field, where the customs broker service is increasingly complex and demanding.
“We had to learn and take charge of having an open institution with closed doors. Today the CDA works at ninety percent of its capacity with the advice, there were endless normative and technical talks with foreign exchange, tax, and customs specialists, to educate us and help us improve further. Since customs brokers became essential to the State, we made the decision to put on the Argentina shirt and go out to work to ensure foreign trade, because the State continued working through Customs and the CDA, it never stopped,” he said.
The president of the century-old entity detailed the achievements, such as the creation of public booths for federal use, joint actions with other foreign trade entities, the suspension of the mandatory deadline and the extension of port fees, in addition to the improvement of working conditions for dispatchers to avoid close ties, and the inclusion of dispatchers within the ATP emergency framework.
In turn, the Director General of Customs, Silvia Traverso, congratulated the CDA on its 108th anniversary and expressed the gratitude of the National Government for the great support that the shipping agents have given to Argentina, guaranteeing good practices in foreign trade and in Customs.
“We are living through a very difficult year, which is why I would especially like to thank you for the work you are doing to ensure that foreign trade and customs work in this country, which is so important for its development and growth. I know that everyone is making a very special effort because we are working with fewer people and with limitations for health reasons, but the dispatchers are up to the task,” said Traverso, addressing those present via video.
Customs, a key player in the pandemic
For his part, Ricardo Treviño, Deputy Secretary of the World Customs Organization, sent a message of hope from Brussels to all members of the CDA. He praised the role of the freight forwarders, who have not stopped and have made every professional effort to guarantee, with determination, legal trade and the supply of essential goods, despite the economic and health crisis.
“I take this opportunity to highlight the important role that customs play in the economic development of the world. We have seen how customs activity has helped reduce the impact of this health and economic crisis. We have undoubtedly faced significant challenges during this pandemic, but we continue to ensure that the legal flow of trade and essential goods reach their final destination. The role of customs brokers has been fundamental to this,” said the WCO Deputy Secretary.
He added: “We must also highlight the work carried out by customs administrations. On this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the coordinated work carried out with the Customs of the Argentine Republic. We have shared information, we have adopted best practices that have been implemented in Argentina and in the rest of the region.”
The virtual meeting was attended by partners and collaborators from all over the country. In addition, representatives of customs and related organizations from Canada and Latin America participated as special guests.
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