In a conversation entitled “Customs and the challenges of trade facilitation and AEO in times of crisis” In the event that took place this Thursday (26.08.2021) as part of the IV International Congress of the Authorized Economic Operator of Guatemala, experts asked that Latin America advance in the OAS Program to facilitate safe trade.
When starting the dialogue, the Deputy Secretary of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Ricardo Treviño, He said: “At a time when the world is seeking economic recovery, international trade is one of the drivers.” He also added that “the AEO, a figure accepted by the Governing Council in 2005 and adopted by 171 of the 183 members of the WCO, is essential for the facilitation and control of customs processes.” He recalled that the SAFE Regulatory Framework incorporated in July 2021 the fifth element that refers to collaboration with other government border agencies, and that the pillars remain three: customs-customs, customs-private sector and customs-government agencies. And he called for “the figure of the AEO continues to evolve in its adoption, influence and facilitation of trade.”
EThe Director General of the National Customs Service of Chile, José Ignacio Palma Sotomayor, He commented on the measures adopted to facilitate trade during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the issuance of regulations to guarantee the expedited entry of essential supplies, the digitalization of procedures to support foreign trade and the enabling of telematic channels for the AEO accreditation process. He said, in this regard, that "the measure allowed us to continue working with China and reach a mutual recognition agreement with the main trading partner." In relation to the mutual recognition agreement of the Pacific Alliance – Mercosur, clarified that "Chile has a committed view on border security. Therefore, the OAS and mutual recognition agreements in the regional context are interests that encourage progress in border protection and integration mechanisms for more fluid and secure foreign trade.”
Meanwhile, the Head of the Authorized Economic Operator of Brazil, Gustavo Vivas, He added that in his country the OAS Program has grown a lot in recent years. He agreed with Palma Sotomayor on the adoption of virtual validations for the Compliance and Security modality in the OAS process. “This pandemic definitely changed our normality, but through planning we face the change, with measures such as receiving images and videos to advance with the objective,” he said optimistically. Regarding mutual recognition agreements, he said that Brazil hopes to reach one with the United States and another at the regional level.
Recalling the experience of Central America, SIECA Chief of Staff, Duayner Salas, He said that “the region has always had a vocation for integration based on economic and commercial aspects. However, the pandemic led to the development of intersectoral meetings to maintain the supply of countries. Regulations were also approved, such as in Chile, to facilitate the transit of sensitive products across borders. And Biosecurity Protocols were adopted.”
To contribute to the debate, the SIECA Chief of Staff mentioned trade facilitation measures that Central America is implementing. These include:
- Central American digital platform, which aims to “enable the interoperability of key computer systems for trade, taking into account single windows for foreign trade.”
- Regional Dispatch Time Study, with the purpose of carrying out a diagnosis of land traffic in the Central American Pacific Corridor and eliminating bottlenecks to benefit public agencies and companies.
- WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which allows for an alliance between customs services and the private sector to provide security to the logistics chain.
- Regional regulatory instruments such as CAUCA and its Regulations (RECAUCA), which are under review and define the OAS at the regional level.
- The Central American Trade Facilitation Strategy with emphasis on coordinated border management, with public and private sector agencies, to improve control procedures, security and the facilitation of the transit of goods and people.
In the forum, the Head of the Commercial and Communications Division of C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism), Carlos Ochoa, agreed on “the importance of facilitating trade based on security.” He argued that “the AEO was not designed as a static figure; it must evolve to face the challenges and opportunities of the moment.”
In this regard, the expert urged “working as a region of the Americas and the Caribbean to promote these criteria so that mutual recognition agreements are, in the future, the security criteria that protect our companies and industries."
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