In an edition that was held entirely remotely for the first time, the 12th International Conference on Customs Law was successfully concluded. This event was organized by the Argentine Association of Fiscal Studies (AAEF), one of the most influential private forums in the legal, economic and technical-administrative disciplines.
For two days (August 12 and 13, 2021), specialists from the public and private sectors and academics from Argentina and abroad reflected on electronic commerce, current issues in customs matters and the Customs Code forty years after its entry into force.
The meeting was opened by the President of the AAEF, Guillermo Lalanne, who after a few brief words, highlighted “the topics of the day, for their relevance” and thanked the exhibitors, those who put together the days and those who, with their participation, “enhance and give them brilliance.”
To its turn, Catalina Garcia Vizcaino, President of the AAEF Scientific Committee, referred to the evolution of technology (which has led to new projections in all areas, in the role of foreign trade and customs). He also pointed out that “in the face of the changing scenario, electronic commerce poses real challenges. In order to safeguard legitimate trade, security, tax collection and copyright, among other issues, the AAEF is the forum for in-depth debate on the accelerated and dizzying consequences of innovations such as the holding of the event.”
The conference included two panels and a round table. The first, entitled "Electronic commerce. Modalities of international exchange”, they integrated it Claus Noceti (President) plus Ana Pampin (Secretary) and presented Flavia Figueredo, Doctor in Law and Social Sciences from the University of the Republic, who presented electronic commerce in Uruguay, emphasizing the facilitation of Uruguayan Customs. Another of the exhibitors, Juan Jose Perez Cotapos, Professor of Customs Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (Chile), spoke about electronic commerce and its regulation in Chilean Customs Law. Likewise, Ana Pampin, a lawyer with a Postgraduate Degree in Customs Law and Integration from the University of Buenos Aires and member of the Abeledo Gottheil Firm, spoke about the situation of cross-border electronic commerce of physical goods that are carried out by electronic means and enter the country by Courier, and the Argentine regulations that govern them. Meanwhile, Dario Rajmilovich, Certified Public Accountant from the University of Buenos Aires and Tax Specialist, spoke about the digital economy in the OECD, internal taxation and its projections in customs matters.
The second panel was titled “Current issues in customs matters”. It was composed of Lorena Bartomioli (President), Juan P. Rothschild (Rapporteur) and Juan M. Sanz (Secretary). The speakers were María S. Saladino and Germán Muiño (both officials of the AFIP – DGA), the lawyer Rufino Beccar Varela and Bastiana Locurscio, a lawyer specializing in taxation and public finance issues.
Finally, the round table was dedicated to 40th Anniversary of the Customs Code. On this occasion, Dr. Catalina García Vizcaíno, together with Enrique Barreira (Founding member of the International Academy of Customs Law, member of the Argentine Institute of Customs Studies), Raul Gonzalez Berro (Academic Director of the International School of Uruguay) and German Pardo Carrero, (one of the founders of the International Academy of Customs Law and Director of the Specialization in Customs and Foreign Trade Law at the University of Rosario in Colombia), made a prospective analysis and referred to the changes that could be implemented.
In the conclusions, In charge of Catalina García Vizcaíno, it was stated that all the speakers addressed the topics within the customs, criminal, procedural and international frameworks with doctrinal and jurisprudential foundations, communicating their respective proposals. In addition, it was emphasized that it is essential to reinforce the human and material resources of the General Directorate of Customs, as well as to strengthen the National Tax Court so that it effectively provides the appropriate Justice service. Finally, the next steps to follow for the XIII International Conference on Customs Law, scheduled for 2023, were announced, in direct transmission with the interior and exterior of the country.
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.
