Brian Lowry Archives

USCIB to Participate in Global Chemicals Management Conference

Published on September 12, 2012

africaAgainst the backdrop of growing international attention to the use of chemicals throughout the production and consumption chain, Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, will attend the Third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3), September 17-21 in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2006, ICCM adopted the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) as a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. SAICM was developed by a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral preparatory committee, and supports the achievement of the goal – agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development – of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

ICCM3 will mark a major milestone in the implementation of the Strategic Approach. The conference will evaluate implementation, address emerging policy issues including the chemicals in products project, consider new activities for addition to its global plan of action, evaluate the financing of SAICM and take strategic decisions for the future.

SAICM is a voluntary policy framework, implemented in a multi-stakeholder process, and sets as one of its main objectives that information and knowledge about chemicals contained in products “is available, accessible, user friendly, adequate and appropriate to the needs of all stakeholders.” As a step towards fulfilling this objective, the second session of the governing body of SAICM in 2009 (ICCM2), recognized chemicals in products as an emerging policy issue, and adopted a resolution which invited UNEP to lead a Chemicals in Products (CiP) project.

Since ICCM2, the UN Environment Program, the lead agency for this topic, has focused its work on understanding the availability of information on CiP. It commissioned in-depth studies in specific sectors (building materials, toys, electronics, textiles) on this topic and a workshop to make suggestions on how to move the project forward. The major recommendation from the workshop and the preparatory meeting for ICCM3 was to develop a voluntary framework to facilitate the flow of information on CiP.

USCIB is attending ICCM3 to ensure that business interests are considered as the recommendation for the next steps for the CiP project is finalized. In essence, USCIB believes that the CiP project can be a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices to achieve the goal of sound management of chemicals by 2020. Significant progress has been made in some industry sectors, and via internationally agreed standards processes, to identify priority information and key points along the life cycle where information should be communicated.

In its comments to ICCM3, USCIB recommends that the CiP project build capacity for the implementation of existing systems that facilitate the exchange of relevant information on chemicals in products, including through training tools and workshops. USCIB said that while industry appreciates the importance of exchanging appropriate and relevant information related to chemicals in products, it is crucial that confidential business information be protected.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

USCIB comments for ICCM3

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

Big Turnout for APEC Women in the Economy Forum

Published on June 28, 2012

On June 20 the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, in partnership with USCIB and the National Center for APEC, held the first APEC Women in the Economy Forum: Private Sector Working Group. The half-day workshop was attended by over 50 members of the private and public sectors, including many USCIB members who also participated on panel discussions. The workshop served to bring actionable recommendations and input from U.S. stakeholders to the APEC Women in the Economy Forum taking place in St. Petersburg June 28-30. The June 20 meeting was opened by U.S. APEC Senior Official Ambassador Hans Klemm and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer.

The APEC forum’s work focuses on four main pillars: Access to Capital, Access to Markets, Skills and Capacity Building and Women’s Leadership. The workshop held panel discussions around each pillar and explored how the four pillars factor into the six topics that Russia is focusing on during their host year, which are: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Work-Life Balance (or Integration), Corporate Management, IT and Investments in Human Capital. Representatives from USCIB member companies including Deloitte, Eastman Chemical, Intel and Qualcomm were asked to give their expertise in these areas and talk about best practices from their companies.

USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg led discussion on Access to Markets and brought attention to the OECD’s Gender Initiative and BIAC’s recently published report, “Putting ALL Our Minds to Work: Harnessing the Gender Dividend,” which was delivered to the OECD in May. The report advocates the business case for women’s economic empowerment and puts forth policy recommendations to further efforts to maximize the benefits of gender diversity. The BIAC report echoes what APEC is advocating through its Policy Partnership on Women in the Economy.

Attendees brought up many ideas/recommendations and areas where more work needed to be done including, but not limited to:

  • Skills and capacity building—need for more science and technology education
  • Developed vs. developing country divide—access to business and finance training
  • Mentoring and sponsorship
  • Professional development plans in SMEs
  • Sharing information to grow stronger and not to duplicate efforts.

The workshop set a strong precedent for future meetings of the APEC Women in the Economy Forum which is part of APEC’s Policy Partnership on Women in the Economy. We hope that as this work stream evolves and gains momentum going into Indonesia’s host year of 2013, that we will see more private sector engagement across the board. USCIB plans to continue to work with our partners to provide opportunities to engage to our members. We will share an official summary of the workshop with members when available in the coming weeks.

After the workshop, attendees joined USCIB and NCAPEC at a reception where USCIB’s Goldberg provided a welcome address and introduced Lorraine Hariton, the State Department’s special representative for commercial and business affairs. Hariton congratulated the group on a positive and productive session and spoke to the importance of working together to get the message out and share best practices and recommendations to advance women’s role and success in the global economy.

USCIB will work with NCAPEC to hold a de-brief with the State Department early next month to update members on the St. Petersburg meetings and discuss next steps leading to Indonesia as well as further plans for the working group.

Click here to view photos from the reception.

Staff contact: Justine Badimon

The Importance of ACTA to Economic Growth and Job Creation

Published on June 7, 2012

BASCAP Wins High Commendation Award on World Anti-Counterfeiting Day

Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) received the 2012 Highly Commended Award in the Association category at the 14th annual Global Anti-Counterfeiting (GAC) Awards ceremony on World Anti-Counterfeiting Day in Paris, which took place June 7.

The awards are presented for outstanding achievement by individuals or organizations involved in combating counterfeiting and piracy, either to protect their own brands or products or in the development of an environment which encourages the combating of counterfeits and pirate products. The awards are given in five categories – individual achievement, national public body, international public body, company and association.

The 2012 GAC Awards were sponsored by Reconnaissance International’s Authentication News and the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG) Network. The winners were announced and awards presented in Paris today during a World Anti-Counterfeiting Day event hosted by the Union des Fabricants. The awards were made as a continuing recognition of special achievements by individuals, companies and organizations.

Tracy Faustin, BASCAP Project Manager, who accepted the award with Lacoste company member Nathalie Moulle-Berteaux, said “On behalf of ICC and BASCAP member companies, we’re honoured to receive this distinctive award. BASCAP brings together companies from multiple sectors and geographies to join forces in fighting the global epidemic of counterfeiting and piracy. We will continue to keep up the good fight – and to work with all of you – to uphold the honor we have received today.”

New report links ACTA to potential economic growth of €50 billion and 960,000 new jobs in EU

Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), an initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), today released a new study by the internationally respected economic research firm, Frontier Economics, showing the significant economic growth and job creation potential of EU approval of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

“The current debate about ACTA in the EU has been focused on a wealth of misinformation and unsubstantiated claims about how the provisions of ACTA will harm the EU,” said Jeffrey Hardy, BASCAP Director. “At a time when Europe is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, with little to no growth and high unemployment, the real discussion should be focused on how ACTA will lead to greater protection of intellectual property around the globe and how this will benefit the EU economy. This new report provides several different scenarios for what would happen to EU exports, economic growth and job creation with the adoption of ACTA by the current signatories, including the EU, and from expansion to four other countries. We believe it is time for the EU decision-makers to look at the data and recognize the enormous potential value to the EU economy that can result from adoption of ACTA.”

The new report concludes that the EU can expect to see increased trade to the ACTA signatories, and that this increase in exports will lead to an increase of up to €19 billion in the EU economy. If ACTA can be expanded beyond the initial group of signatory countries, including the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), the value to the EU country will be significantly greater. The increase in exports to the BRIC countries alone that could be expected with greater intellectual property (IP) protection under ACTA could increase EU growth by a further €23 billion. With stronger enforcement of IP rights in countries where counterfeit products are rife (i.e. China), EU Gross Value Added could increase by a further €8 billion.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff Contact: Charlene Flick


More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

 

Smaller Companies Unaware of Their IP Assets

Published on May 23, 2012
Zeynep Birsel: “IP is not a legal issue – it is a business issue.”
Zeynep Birsel: “IP is not a legal issue – it is a business issue.”

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organized a May 21 side event during the World Intellectual Property Organization’s standing committee on patents to demonstrate how the patent system works to support research and development, technology transactions and innovation, using case studies from a Turkish university as well as Brazilian and German industry.

The session, “Making patents work for economic and technological growth: what is needed?” exemplified what small and large companies, and universities, need in practice to make the patent system work for economic and technological growth.

Thaddeus Burns, senior counsel with General Electric and vice chair of the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property moderated the event. One panellist, Zeynep Birsel, director of the technology transfer office at Sabanci University in Turkey, outlined the changing science, technology, industry and intellectual property landscape, and gave examples of how the university had been proactive in responding to the Turkish government’s increasing focus on technology development and commercialization.

“IP is not a legal issue – it is a business issue,” she said. “Companies have to learn to align business and IP strategies. Most small- and medium-sized companies have no idea of the value of their IP assets and how they can protect them.”

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff Contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

Published on April 13, 2012
APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers
APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

USCIB members took part in a panel discussion at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Regulators Forum on March 30 in Singapore, drawing attention to some of the challenges manufacturers face in many countries with respect to chemicals regulation, which is having an increasing impact on downstream users of chemicals.

For the past several years the APEC Chemical Dialogue has discussed how best to contribute to APEC’s overarching goals of trade liberalization and business facilitation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Moderating the discussion and speaking on behalf of USCIB was Sophia Danenberg (Boeing)¸ who said the panel was intended to gauge the interest of APEC economies on this topic and elicit thoughts for next steps, if any, for region-wide action.

The discussion was productive, with a consensus among participants that regulating chemicals in articles is a complicated matter, and that further discussion on the topic is needed. It revolved around how various industries are dealing with the need to communicate substances in articles along the supply chain.

Timo Unger (Hyundai) described how complex supply chain communication can be for the automotive industry. A single vehicle, he said, can contain hundreds of thousands of articles, most of which are pre-manufactured, which makes understanding what substances they contain and communicating that information throughout the supply chain a major challenge.  As a result, auto companies have created an international database for original equipment manufacturers to manage environmentally relevant aspects of the different parts used in vehicles.

Andrea Fava (Intel), representing the Information Technology Industry Council, shared the electronics industry’s experiences and approach to materials declaration. She said the industry has its own database on material declaration, which is meant to harmonize requirements across the supply chain and improve economic efficiencies. Komei Kimura (Japanese Environmental Management Association for Industry) noted a joint article management consortium established in 2006 by 17 member companies across various industries to develop a system for exchanging information on chemicals in articles across various supply chains.

Matthew Gredley, from the Australian health department, gave a regulator’s perspective on the challenges faced in obtaining information about chemicals in articles.  He specifically noted the Australian government’s assessment of diethylhexyl phthalate, a plasticizer used in industrial and consumer products, and the challenges that Australia had in obtaining information on the level of that chemical in articles.

It is clear that both industry and APEC member economies share the goal of the sound management of chemicals throughout their life-cycles. There is a need to share and have access to relevant information regarding the chemicals in articles for a variety of reasons, including to allow economies to assess and mitigate risks to human health and the environment, enable industry to demonstrate compliance to regulatory requirements and inform environmentally conscious design.

Furthermore, while information sharing is crucial, a balanced approach is required that recognizes and respects the important concept of intellectual property and protection of confidential information, as well as consumers need to know.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

EU-Style Chemicals Regulation Being Pushed in Various Forums

Published on March 12, 2012

4269_image002On March 7 in Baltimore, Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, took part in the annual GlobalChem conference, speaking on a panel on “Regulating Chemicals in Products/Articles.” For over 20 years, GlobalChem has provided a forum for discussion of the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act, equivalent international regulations, and emerging issues and trends in the product stewardship arena.

The panel focused on the increasing pressure for U.S. manufacturers, importers and exporters to meet applicable governmental reporting requirements (including the European Union’s REACH effort), as well as content restrictions such as state chemical-specific laws in the U.S. and the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS II) initiative, without knowing fully what chemicals their suppliers have used in making the products they purchase and those used in making or selling their own products. In addition to Medina, the other panelists were Mike Irwin (Procter & Gamble), Andrea Fava (Intel) and Ernie Rosenberg (American Cleaning Institute).

Panelists reviewed increased government reporting requirements and content restrictions, as well as compliance through supply-chain management, and identified the challenges and solutions for companies selling products that incorporate chemicals or components supplied by others. USCIB’s Medina spoke about how the regulation and information-sharing about chemicals in articles are unfolding in the international arena. She described the specific obligations EU REACH sets out for manufacturers of articles, and she called attention to South Korea’s efforts to introduce REACH-style.

Medina also described how the UN efforts, including the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) initiative, are addressing chemicals in products and providing a platform for some to call for increased sharing of environmental information. She warned of the spread of REACH-like approaches outside the EU, the use of SAICM as a platform to facilitate this, and the potential “perfect storm” brewing in various multilateral forums – from June’s Rio+20 conference to the International Conference on Chemicals and Chemicals Management – to validate the inclusion of REACH-style measures in an international treaty built on the SAICM initiative. Medina said the time is now for business to engage with governments in the run-up to Rio+20 and in SAICM discussions in order to shape desired outcomes.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

New Study on Benefits of AntiCounterfeiting Trade Agreement

Published on February 29, 2012

Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) – an initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce, part of USCIB’s global network – joined with the International Trademark Association in releasing a study that provides a practical analysis of the importance and benefits of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

The study aims to add clarity to the debate on ACTA in Europe by outlining how ACTA promotes EU trade and economic growth, as well as how it protects consumers and EU companies of all sizes against the negative impacts of counterfeiting and piracy.

It provides a detailed analysis of the provisions of ACTA and reaffirms the conclusion that ACTA is fully consistent with the laws of the EU and its member states, citing specific sections that expressly provide for protection of civil liberties, fair processes, privacy and other important fundamental rights and values of the EU.

Read more on ICC’s website.

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

New Roadmap for Global Intellectual Property Protection Launched

Published on January 25, 2012

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization for which USCIB serves as the American affiliate, has launched the 11th edition of its flagship intellectual property (IP) publication ICC Intellectual Property Roadmap: Current and Emerging Issues for Business and Policymakers.

Presenting the new edition in Geneva at the inaugural Licensing Executives Society International’s Global Technology Impact Forum, David Koris, chair of the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property, said: “The IP Roadmap has undergone extensive updates to reflect key developments in the IP policy landscape. It is an invaluable tool to bring policymakers and business leaders worldwide up to date on IP-related issues, from measures to control copyright and trademark infringement on the Internet to the mediation of IP disputes.”

Containing contributions from ICC experts and members from around the globe, the popular ICC Roadmap is a useful reference tool to help business, policy and legal professionals worldwide keep pace with the rapidly evolving intellectual property landscape. Published every two years, it is translated into several languages including Arabic, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian.

Read more on ICC’s website.

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

USCIB Keeps Tabs on UN Discussions of Chemicals in Products

Published on November 30, 2011

4208_image002Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, recently attended the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting of the UN’s International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) which was held November 15-18 in Belgrade.

In 2006, ICCM adopted the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) as a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals.  SAICM was developed by a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral preparatory committee, and supports the achievement of the goal – agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development – of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

The functions of the OEWG are to consider the implementation, development and enhancement of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals, and to make recommendations for ICCM3, which will be held in September 2012 in Nairobi.

The overarching issue that impacted the discussions at the OEWG surrounded the financing and technical resources for implementing SAICM goals. This included the financing of the Quick Start Program and of SAICM itself. As such, many delegates felt that unless financing and technical issues were resolved, there was little point in discussing other issues for possible inclusion on the provisional agenda of ICCM3.

To deal with the issue of long-term and short-term finance issues, the president of the meeting created a “Group of the Friends of the President” and a “Committee of the Whole (COW)” to prepare draft decisions or resolutions for possible adoption by ICCM3. Although there were several issues of interest that USCIB followed during the meeting, it was the Chemical in Products project which has generated the most interest among USCIB’s members.

SAICM is a voluntary policy framework, implemented in a multi-stakeholder process, and sets as one of its main objectives that information and knowledge about chemicals contained in products “is available, accessible, user friendly, adequate and appropriate to the needs of all stakeholders.” As a step towards fulfilling this objective, the second session of the governing body of SAICM, the International Conference  for Chemicals Management (ICCM2), in May 2009 recognized chemicals in products as an emerging policy issue, and adopted a resolution which invited UNEP to lead a Chemicals in Products (CiP) project.

Since ICCM2, the UN Environment Program, the lead agency for this topic, has been focusing its work on understanding the availability of information on CiP. There were in-depth studies in specific sectors on this topic and a workshop was held to make suggestions on how to move this project forward. The major recommendation from the workshop was to develop a voluntary framework to facilitate the flow of information on CiP.

For a more detailed report of the meeting please refer to the Draft Report of the Work of the Open-ended Working Group of the International Conference on Chemicals Management at its First meeting, the Addendum to the Draft Report of the OEWG, and the Draft Decisions Submitted by the Committee of the Whole.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

USCIB Front and Center at APEC Meeting in San Francisco

Published on September 28, 2011
L-R: Justine Badimon (USCIB), Laurie Goldman (Levi Strauss), Nasim Deylami (USCIB).
L-R: Justine Badimon (USCIB), Laurie Goldman (Levi Strauss), Nasim Deylami (USCIB).

The intergovernmental Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held its third senior officials meeting September 12-26 in San Francisco.  USCIB members and staff played an active role in a wide range of public-private dialogues held throughout the two-week period.

By participating in the APEC process, companies and business groups have the opportunity to lay out their priorities on various trade and investment issues directly to the economies of greatest interest, and participate in dialogues with the officials who ultimately make the policy decisions affecting their industry, according to Justine Badimon, USCIB’s manager of China, APEC and European Union affairs.  Business input into APEC is facilitated at the regional level through the APEC Business Advisory Council, and at the U.S. level via the National Center for APEC.

Here is a round-up of several of the areas where USCIB played an especially active role in San Francisco.

Energy and Transportation Ministerial

The senior officials meeting began with joint gathering of APEC transport and energy ministers, hosted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. A main focus was establishing achievable goals for energy efficiency and sustainability in transportation.  Ministers and the private sector discussed enhanced regulatory cooperation not only within APEC economies but also more broadly through other international organizations.  Ministers pledged to cooperate on cleaner and more energy-efficient transportation in the APEC region, with the goal of reducing energy in economic activity by at least 25 percent by 2030.

Women and the Economy Summit

A first-ever APEC Women and the Economy Summit was hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, with participation from nearly 3,000 ministers, senior government officials, and private sector representatives from the 21 APEC economies.  Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg attended on behalf of USCIB.

The meeting affirmed APEC leaders’ recognition that gender equality is central to economic and social development, and that equal opportunity for both women supports economic growth and poverty reduction.  It culminated with Secretary Clinton’s announcement that APEC governments had committed to taking action to address the most significant barriers hindering women’s full economic participation.

“By increasing women’s participation in the economy and enhancing their efficiency and productivity, we can bring about a dramatic impact on the competitiveness and growth of our economies,” Secretary Clinton said in her remarks.  “Because when everyone has a chance to participate in the economic life of a nation, we can all be richer.”

APEC’s work will initially focus on four priority areas: improving access to capital, access to markets, capacity and skills building, and women’s leadership.

Among the materials distributed at the summit was an APEC edition of the OECD Gender Initiative interim report.  The OECD is examining gender gaps in education, employment and entrepreneurship, and is developing tools for closing these gaps.  USCIB members are providing both policy and practical input to the OECD in this area through a network of OECD-area member organizations and company representatives.

APEC Chemical Dialogue

The APEC Chemical Dialogue, attended by USCIB members and Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of product policy, focused on two projects with the private sector. The first involves organizing a future information-sharing workshop to discuss chemicals in articles and exchange experiences.  The workshop will provide a foundation for future discussion on whether work in this area would be valuable and if so, the scope of such efforts.

Secondly, APEC will also hold discussions on transparency and innovation in this sector.  Developments in other international discussions touching on chemicals management issues, such as in the Aarhus Convention, or some aspects within the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) process, raise questions about access to and availability of certain chemical information while also protecting intellectual property rights.

The APEC Chemical Dialogue’s Regulatory Best Practice Principles already recognize the importance of proper treatment for confidential business information.  APEC members agreed to commission a short paper focusing on the importance of transparency in the availability of information on chemicals and, in turn, the importance of encouraging innovation through the protection of intellectual property rights, including confidential business information.

Secure Trade in the APEC Region

A two-day Secure Trade in the APEC Region conference looked at ensuring security across all levels of the supply chain, while balancing trade facilitation.  USCIB member companies, including UPS and Dow Chemical, were represented along with customs and trade officials to give their views on what works in the APEC region and what challenges remain.

Industry representatives emphasized the necessity of enabling trade through the development of guidelines for the supply chain, encouraging a multi-layered approach to risk assessment and harmonizing international standards and codes to be adopted globally.  Participants cited successful public-private partnerships, such as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), and urged such partnerships be allowed to evolve, facilitate information exchange and respond to the security challenges encountered by a dynamic global supply chain.

Participants agreed that APEC has a unique position, as an accessible and open forum where business leaders and government can exchange information and collaborate on priorities for trade.  The APEC region also holds expertise and experience in dealing with natural disasters and terrorist acts which affect the global supply chain, and this knowledge can add value to the international discussion on security in trade.  APEC’s role should be to share leadership in this area with other organizations and governments and continue to act as a thought-starter with mechanisms such as the Trade Recovery Program, which was created at APEC and carried out by the World Customs Organization.

APEC Customs-Business Dialogue

With a theme of “Change, Challenge and Opportunity,” the APEC Customs Business Dialogue provided a forum for participants from both the private and public sectors to consider and discuss how the events of 9/11 attacks created significant changes and challenges to customs procedures in the APEC region, as well as opportunities for better collaboration between business and government.

Laurie Goldman, head of global trade policy with Levi Strauss & Co., took part in a panel discussion on “Opportunity: Identifying the Next Generation of Customs-Business Partnerships.”

“The APEC Customs Business Dialogue gives both government and business a chance to address trade problems openly and efficiently in a way that helps to facilitate trade and better focus customs resources,” said Ms. Goldman.

It was widely agreed upon by business participants that APEC economies should work toward establishing guidelines for mutual recognition of AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) programs, and implement mechanisms to increase transparency and improve capacity building.  Positive examples of potential customs-business partnerships within APEC were provided, such as the Asia-Pacific Interactive Tariff Database.  Nasim Deylami, USCIB’s manager for customs and trade facilitation, will work closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure our engagement with APEC on this issue as we move into 2012.

Data Privacy

Heather Shaw, USCIB’s vice president for ICT policy, continued work with APEC’s Electronic Commerce Steering Group with a workshop she organized on September 17 called, APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules: The Value Proposition for Industry, Consumers and Governments.  In addition to the workshop, key outcomes of the data protection subgroup included the completion of the Cross-Border Privacy Rules System (CBPR) Pathfinder.  Click here to access a separate report on the CBPR.

Gearing up for the CEO Summit

In November, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson will attend the APEC CEO Summit in Honolulu, where President Obama will host his counterparts from each of the APEC economies.  The summit will include a full agenda of plenary discussions with business leaders from around the APEC region exploring new developments in health and innovation, financial markets, regulatory reform, green growth and “next-generation” trade issues.  The two-day event will also offer opportunities for the business community to engage with APEC leaders. At the conclusion of the summit, the U.S. will hand over hosting duties to Russia for APEC 2012.

For more information about registration for the CEO Summit, please visit the National Host Committee’s website at www.apec2011ceosummit.com or contact USCIB.