Brian Lowry Archives

USCIB 2016 APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations

Published on February 23, 2016

APEC_PERUThe Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is comprised of 21 member economies, which account for approximately 40 percent of the world’s population, over 50 percent of the world’s total GDP and half of the world’s trade. It is the top economic forum in the region that actively encourages economic growth, regional cooperation and trade and investment.

The APEC forum has established partnerships with the private sector to leverage the many economic, trade and regulatory opportunities available in the region. Each year, USCIB issues a statement outlining business priorities and recommendations in the region.

USCIB’s 2016 APEC policy priorities reflect our longstanding and overarching objectives of promoting open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. USCIB members have identified key issues that are detailed in this paper and cover the following areas:

business ethics
chemicals
climate change
corporate social responsibility
cross-border data flows
customs transparency and trade facilitation
digital trade
environmental goods and services
food and agriculture
foreign direct investment
global value chains
good regulatory practices
healthcare and regulatory policy

infrastructure
innovation policy
intellectual property rights enforcement
localization barriers to trade
metals
privacy
self-regulation in marketing and advertising
services
state-owned enterprises
trade facilitation in remanufactured goods and e-waste
trade liberalization
women in the economy

Read the USCIB 2016 APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations

Businesses Celebrate American Heart Month

Published on February 22, 2016

heart_cardio_resized_ssby Helen Medina

February marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 801,000 people in the U.S. died from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in 2013. That’s about one of every three deaths. The direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke total more than $316.6 billion, including health expenditures and lost productivity. 

As innovators and employers, companies are only as strong as the communities that they work in and serve, and they are committed to offering and developing essential medicines and technological solutions for consumers.

USCIB’s members understand the importance of health and wellness, both for their employees and for the wider communities in which they operate, because healthy, happy employees are more productive. Many U.S. companies are innovators when it comes to promoting heart health, in addition to supporting a holistic approach to health and wellness. As innovators and employers, companies are only as strong as the communities that they work in and serve, and they are committed to offering and developing essential medicines and technological solutions for consumers. Additionally, companies are forging innovative public-private partnerships that educate and encourage populations to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles, while also investing in new technologies and innovations that fight diseases.

Given the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the private sector’s role in helping achieve this, USCIB has been working with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) to organize a Forum on Innovation in Health and Well-Being from May 3-4. This forum will inform discussions for OECD Health Ministers when they meet in 2017 to discuss the next generation of health reforms.

The BIAC Forum will provide an opportunity to:

  • Exchange solutions and policy recommendations with high-level representatives from the business community, governments and leading voices in the field.
  • Learn more about the innovations and on-the-ground partnerships private sector is undertaking.
  • Explore how healthy populations can be a strong pillar for increased economic productivity and societal well-being.

Please stay tuned as we continue developing the program for this Forum. Due to limited space, the event is by invitation only.

Read last month’s USCIB Health Blog entry, We’ve All Got to Work Together on Global Health Challenges

USCIB Heads to Peru for APEC Policy Dialogues

Published on February 22, 2016

APEC_PERUSupporting six million American jobs and hosting two thirds of the global middle class, the Asia-Pacific region is of great interest to the business community, as global companies are eager to tap the region’s growing markets. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum – the most influential economic dialogue in the region – continues to be a priority for USCIB members, as it is key to accelerating regional economic integration and promoting balanced, sustainable growth.

To aid private-sector engagement in the dialogue, USCIB works with the U.S. APEC business coalition to give members access to APEC officials and participate in APEC meetings throughout the year, culminating in the APEC CEO Summit, a meeting of CEOs and leaders from the APEC economies.

USCIB is in actively engaged in a number of the APEC working groups related to customs, product policy, and information and communication technologies. Each year, USCIB compiles an APEC priorities and recommendations paper to help direct and coordinate work with our members and APEC officials.

Three of USCIB’s policy team will be attending the upcoming first APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 1) in Lima Peru, which began this past weekend.

Action on trade facilitation

Megan Giblin, USCIB’s director for customs and trade facilitation, will participate in the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2) and the Subcommittee on Customs Procedures meetings, and will identify linkages to the work underway within the USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee including, but not limited to, e-commerce, single-window efforts, and other aspects that tie directly to WTO TFA implementation.

Giblin was also confirmed last week as the industry Co-Chair to the APEC Subcommittee on Customs Procedures Virtual Working Group (VWG) along with the government of New Zealand. USCIB both helped create the working group and has facilitated its work, co-chairing the group, since its inception. The VWG is comprised of both customs officials and members of the private sector.

Smarter chemicals regulations

Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president of product policy and Innovation will attend the APEC Chemical Dialogue (CD) meetings to support USCIB’s work and recommendations on a coordinated approach to implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and future GHS capacity building workshops. Medina will also support USCIB’s Customs priorities in the area of Chemical Import Procedures.

USCIB will continue to encourage work within the CD on metals risk assessment, specifically follow-up to the workshop on this topic in 2015 as well as the dissemination of pending OECD metals assessment scientific guidance as joint OECD-APEC guidance for APEC Economies.  Lastly, Medina will meet with the Lima Chamber of Commerce, Peru’s most representative organization promoting Peru’s global economic integration, to share USCIB priorities during the Peru host year and collaborate on areas of mutual interest.

Facilitating cross-border data flows

Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president of ICT policy will participate in the SOM 1 meetings of the Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG), with particular focus on the Data Privacy Subgroup. The meetings will focus on expanding APEC economies’ understanding of and participation in the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system (CBPR). The CBPR system requires firms in participating economies to develop their own internal business rules on cross-border data privacy procedures, complying with the system’s minimum requirements. The meetings will also explore a selection of next-generation privacy issues, such as data portability, open data and privacy, and big data.

Wanner  will also participate in a special workshop, “Building a Dependable Framework for Privacy, Innovation and Cross-Border Data Flows in the Asia-Pacific Region,” which will set the stage for subsequent discussions on APEC CBPR and other privacy issues during the informal and formal ECSG and DPS meetings.

If you would like any further information on the above meetings or issues, please feel free to reach out to our team.

Customs: Megan Giblin, mgiblin@uscib.org
Chemicals: Helen Medina, hmedina@uscib.org
ICT and Data Privacy: Barbara Wanner, bwanner@uscib.org
APEC priorities: Rachel Spence, rspence@uscib.org

We’ve All Got to Work Together on Global Health Challenges

Published on January 9, 2016

USCIB is pleased to launch this Health and Nutrition Blog, which will include our priorities, activities, and updates related to global nutrition and health policy in major United Nations, World Health Organization, and OECD processes. We look forward working with our members and all stakeholders as they address global health challenges as we aspire to to a healthier 2016 for all! 

By Helen Medina

nutrition_globeAs in years past, January 1st is the time that many Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Often those are associated with a pledge to live a healthier lifestyle. One can experience the result of this undertaking in overcrowded  gyms, jam-packed yoga classes and in the media with advice on how to keep those resolutions. Health and wellness is top-of-mind for many of us, and especially with policymakers. While each of us may be experiencing different challenges to achieve our own optimum well-being, there is no dispute that health is important for all.

Many countries lose approximately two to three percent of their GDP due to under-nutrition, and worldwide, non-communicable diseases account for 60 percent (35 million) of global deaths.

In fact, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals reflect the importance of nutrition and health, with targets listed at the top as goals 2 and 3 respectively. Goal 2 aims to address the challenges the world faces as the population continues to grow. More effort and innovation are needed to increase agricultural production, improve the global supply chain, decrease food losses and waste and ensure that all who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition have access to nutritious food. Goals 3 is “ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.” The associated targets aim to reduce the rate of global maternal mortality, end preventable deaths of newborns, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and end certain epidemics.

The Access to Nutrition Index indicates that 805 million people globally suffer from hunger and more than two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. The economic costs of under-nutrition are high, as many countries lose approximately two to three percent of their GDP due to under-nutrition. In Africa and Asia, the cost can be as high as 11 percent of GDP.

According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases (NCD) make the largest contribution to mortality both globally and in the majority of low- and middle-income countries . Worldwide, NCDs account for 60 percent (35 million) of global deaths. The largest burden – 80 percent (28 million) – occurs in low- to middle-income countries, making NCDs a major cause of poverty and an urgent development issue. They will be the leading global cause of disability by 2030.

USCIB understands the scale and complexity of these global challenges. Together with our members, we are actively following and participating in international discussions on nutrition because we believe that no one organization, industry or government can make a material difference completely on its own. Instead, we must bring forward and catalyze partnerships that connect across business, government and civil society. Working together is key to addressing today’s health challenges. As innovators, goods and service providers and employers, companies are only as strong as the communities that they work in and serve, and they are committed to offering solutions and actions.

Overview of the 2015 APEC Summit

Published on November 20, 2015

AELM-family-photo-1Thousands of delegates from around the Pacific Rim gathered in the Philippines this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit, the most influential and high-level economic dialogue in the region. The summit brings together heads of state, business leaders and economic experts to share their views on how to promote free trade, innovation, growth and integration in the Asia-Pacific.

APEC leaders released two statements following the conclusion of the CEO summit: the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Declaration titled “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community” and a statement supporting the multilateral trading system on the occasion of the World Trade Organization’s 20th anniversary.

Throughout the year, USCIB participated in several APEC workstreams, including efforts on chemicals, advertising and global value chains. USCIB also noted the November 19 APEC leaders’ announcement of an initiative aimed at boosting services trade among all 21 APEC economies. Leaders also reaffirmed their objective of completing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). 

We are pleased to see the following items USCIB worked on were highlighted in the Ministerial statement:

Global Value Chains

The APEC Leaders’ Declaration called for the development of policies that take full advantage of global value chains (GVCs) and encourage greater participation, competition, entrepreneurship and innovation through effective and comprehensive measures, including balanced intellectual property systems and capacity-building.

In August at the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOMIII), USCIB participated in a half-day trade policy dialogue titled, “APEC Best Practices to Create Jobs and Increase Competitiveness,” which convened private-sector representatives and officials from the United States and the OECD for a discussion of the impacts of forced localization policies and how best trade practices can serve as sound alternatives to these policies. APEC ministers welcomed the results of the trade policy dialogue and instructed officials to continue to identify alternatives to localization policies and develop best practices as a means to foster job creation and increase competitiveness.

The declaration also noted progress in the APEC Strategic Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chain Development and Cooperation as a promising avenue for growth, competitiveness and job creation in the region.

Chemicals

The APEC Chemical Dialogue recently undertook research to better understand divergences in the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). APEC leaders look forward to a report from the Chemical Dialogue in 2016 on the implementation of measures to reduce these divergences, and welcomed the work of the APEC regulatory community to strengthen capacity in the scientific assessment of metals and metal compounds, as well as the work of the Chemical Dialogue on Good Regulatory Practices.

At SOMIII in August, Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, represented member views at several meetings of the Chemical Dialogue. USCIB also brought to the table two new ideas at the Chemical Dialogue to help bolster regulatory cooperation and streamline customs procedures in the APEC region: 1) a self-certification customs form, in which an importer of goods would self-certify that their imports comply with the U.S. Toxic Substances and Control Act, and 2) a regional capacity-building project related to the theme of  “Analogue/Read-across use in Risk Assessment.”

Advertising

APEC leaders endorsed the Principles for Government’s Role in Promoting Effective Advertising Standards and instructed officials to advance work in this area in 2016. They also encouraged continued discussions on the implementation of the APEC Action Agenda on Advertising Standards and Practices.

APEC and the Future of Asia-Pacific Trade and Economic Growth

USCIB is an outreach partner for a December 14 event hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York about the future of the Asia-Pacific region’s economic growth. Registration and the event program are available on the Asia Society’s website.

USCIB Promotes Women’s Empowerment in the Food Supply Chain

Published on October 12, 2015

africa_fruit_vendors_lo-resThis week delegates from around the work will be reviewing world food security policies at the 42nd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  A record-setting 126 private sector representatives from 39 countries have registered to attend the 42nd plenary session taking place from October 12 to 15 in Rome. CFS is one of the most inclusive intergovernmental platforms that allows stakeholders to work together and ensure food security and nutrition for all.

In an effort to catalyze political will and focus around food security, USCIB supported an event on October 9 in Rome about “Women’s Empowerment: Solutions at the Nexus of Agriculture, Nutrition and Enterprise,” co-chaired by Cherie Blair, president and founder of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and Irene Khan, director general of the International Law Development Office. The event convened high-level representatives from business, government and NGOs for a dialogue about women’s access to productive resources (finance, tools, technology, land), women’s contributions to health and nutrition and the role of women in fostering food security.

Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, participated in the broad-based roundtable discussion, which included business leaders, 12 FAO ambassadors and representatives from leading NGOs. There was  broad agreement about the challenges faced by women and the importance of having multi-stakeholder partnerships to  empower women in agriculture and supply chains. Empowering women would improve food security and nutrition, as well as create a positive ripple effect in raising the standard of living for their families and strengthening their communities.

Many agreed that when women have more control over household assets and income, they invest more in their families’ food, health, education and children’s well-being. Thriving families are better positioned to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and a well-nourished population is better able to participate in the workforce. By empowering women in agriculture and supply chains, the world can make significant gains toward realizing the FAO’s Strategic Objectives and several of the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as:

USCIB Participates in the 4th Int’l Conference on Chemicals Management

Published on October 5, 2015
Medina_SAICM
Helen Medina (USCIB) in Geneva, encourages others to engage in SAICM.

On Friday, October 2, 2015, the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) concluded in Geneva, Switzerland.  Over 450 delegates, from governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations and industry participated in the week-long conference.

The USCIB member delegation included American Cleaning Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Boeing and the Toy Industry Association. Other USCIB members including ACC, CropLife America, Exxon, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble participated in the week-long meeting under other international delegations.

ICCM4, the decision-making body for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) made several important decisions meant to promote the 2020 goal “that chemicals are used and produced in ways that minimize adverse effects on human health and the environment.” Additionally, the conference decided on the process for continuing international efforts towards the sound management of chemicals beyond 2020. The process includes an independent evaluation of SAICM and a schedule of meetings, to be agreed by March 2016, to prepare recommendations to be considered at the fifth ICCM in 2020.

“USCIB was indispensable in the negotiations and succeeded in strengthening the role of industries that use chemicals in addition to the chemical industry itself,” said Ernie Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute. “The work of USCIB laid the foundation for a leading role as the SAICM process moves forward to the next International Conference on Chemicals Management and the development of a new process beyond 2020.”

USCIB members actively participated in several of the negotiations, one of which was the Chemicals in Products (CiP) program. That program will move into the implementation phase as a voluntary, initiative which would be open to SAICM stakeholders’ input. The program would also be flexible enough to accommodate existing and developing industry schemes. USCIB made interventions to ensure that a separate CiP secretariat would not be created. Instead, the United Nations Environment Programme, in cooperation with the CiP Steering Group, would continue to develop in an open and inclusive manner. Future updates of the guidance documents would be considered as appropriate.

“Beyond the ICCM4 meeting, my, and TIA’s, involvement with SAICM and CiP has been an important component of TIA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of our members,” said Alan Kaufman, senior vice president for technical affairs at the Toy Industry Association. “Helen Medina has done a terrific job of coordinating disparate industry sectors, keeping us all informed, and consolidating and articulating our positions in a coherent manner.”

On the topic of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), USCIB united with CropLife International, and the International Council of Chemical Associations to highlight that the science on EDCs remains very contentious. Industry noted in the outcome document that the 2012 WHO-UNEP ‘State of the Science Report’ is not an accurate perspective on the current science. Risk assessment was also reaffirmed by many countries as the preferred approach to manage EDCs, and industry successfully supported governments in avoiding a call for the development of lists of EDCs and/or potential EDCs.

With regards to Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), the crop protection industry worked to introduce sound scientific language on the approach that insists on risk management and risk mitigation. The industry also defeated an NGO-initiated movement to form a Global Alliance to Phase-out HHPs. The Alliance would have been a duplication of efforts on the management of HHPs already being undertaken by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by voluntary industry commitments and actions.

On hazardous substances within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products, the outcome document invites the UN Industrial Development Organization in partnership with the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) to work with others to develop a work plan for hazardous substances used in electrical and electronics products. Original equipment manufacturers should implement various measures including take-back programs, industrial hygiene and environmental monitoring programs, and safer and more sustainable chemistry in manufacturing.

ICCM4 also adopted environmentally persistent pharmaceutical products as a new “emerging policy issue”. The IOMC will develop a work plan, including information generation and sharing, to fill identified knowledge gaps.  For more detailed information on the outcomes of ICCM4, please contact Helen Medina.

USCIB Members Attend 4th International Conference on Chemicals Management

Published on September 29, 2015

ICCM4On the heels of the approved United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and as the UN General Assembly continues, the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) began on September 28 in Geneva. During this week-long conference,  ICCM, the governing body of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), brings over 700 stakeholders from sectors that include agriculture, environment, health, industry, labor, economics, science and academia for discussions about how chemicals can be used and produced in ways that minimize adverse effects on human health and the environment by 2020.

“High on the agenda will be an important discussion of how SAICM and its stakeholders can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the SAICM 2020 goal and beyond,” said Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation. “We will also discuss emerging policy issues including chemicals in products, environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants and highly hazardous  pesticides.”

Given the new workstreams that may materialize from ICCM4, several USCIB members are attending ICCM4 this week. USCIB members comply with a variety of national chemicals regulations, and are engaged in initiatives that go well beyond legal minimums, supporting efforts to protect human health and the environment.

“USCIB and its members are actively engaged in the activities related to SAICM, chemicals and green economy discussions at UNEP, chemical deliberations at the OECD and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Chemical Dialogue,” said Medina. “We are also participating in the ICCM4 dialogue by developing industry positions on SAICM initiatives, coordinating with governments and multinational organizations, and contributing directly to the SAICM process.”

USCIB members attending ICCM4 include the American Chemistry Council, the American Cleaning Institute, Boeing, American Petroleum Institute, Toy Industry Association, Exxon, Procter and Gamble, CropLife America,  Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and many more.

USCIB, U.S. Take Lead on Alternatives to Forced Localization at APEC

Published on August 28, 2015
L-R: Trudy Witbreuk (OECD); Ken Schagrin (USTR) and Ed Brzytwa (ITIC)

Demonstrating thought leadership on trade facilitation and global value chains (GVCs) in the Asia-Pacific, USCIB participated in a half-day trade policy dialogue during the third Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials Meeting (SOM III) in Cebu, the Philippines on August 28. The event titled, “APEC Best Practices to Create Jobs and Increase Competitiveness,” was organized by the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment and convened private sector representatives and officials from the United States and the OECD for a discussion of the impacts of forced localization policies and how best trade practices can serve as sound alternatives to these policies.

Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation attended SOM III and led the session on best practices as alternatives to localization policies in the APEC region during the dialogue. USCIB members participating at the event included Jeffrey Hardee (Caterpillar), Jennifer Mulveny (Intel) and Ed Brzytwa (Information Technology Industry Council).

The event reviewed the APEC Best Practices to Create Jobs and Increase Competitiveness, which were endorsed by the APEC economies in 2013, and highlighted how those practices can be alternatives to local content requirements (LCR). Often LCRs are put in place to deal with one aspect of the economy at the expense of hurting the wider economy. Trudy Witbreuk (OECD) discussed the detrimental impacts that LCRs have had and offered other approaches for policymakers. Namely, the OECD recommends that economies to identify the domestic problem and work on a horizontal approach to resolves the issues. For example, skill shortages are best resolved through targeted training and education policies instead of local labor requirement. The OECD recommended that policies targeted at the regulatory environment, trade and investment barriers, innovation policy and infrastructure development will lead to trade outcomes that are more sustainable over the long run.

“It is not surprising that the private sector panelists echoed the OECD’s recommendation,” Medina said. The private sector participants shared their own stories about why their investments in certain APEC Economies have  flourished.  They highlighted reasons such as good investment environment, highly skilled local labor, and efficient infrastructure. The private sector also unanimously stated that the free flow of data is key to all industries.

The discussion also highlighted possible next steps that APEC can take, such as new guidance on internal coordination of regulatory work.  A summary of the meeting will be circulated to the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment so that further action items can be taken to address LCRs.  It was agreed that APEC economies have economic challenges and that what are needed are sustainable long term solutions.

USCIB and APEC economies have endeavored to make global value chains top-of-mind at APEC dialogues. At last year’s APEC CEO Summit in November, USCIB organized an event on global value chains that gave members an opportunity to discuss obstacles that APEC economies must overcome in order to leverage the benefits of GVCs as well as corresponding policy recommendations to promote economic integration within the region. You may read the outcome document of the November event online.

You may read the outcome document of the November event online.

USCIB has been advocating an APEC work stream on promoting global value chain coordination in the region, including the development of the APEC Strategic Blueprint on GVCs from the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration, which highlights how understanding global value chains is crucial for realizing a more effective policy and regulatory infrastructure for global trade. Following the blueprint, USCIB has been working with the U.S. government to address trade and investment issues that impact GVCs within APEC.

Additionally, USCIB has circulated an ICC Policy Statement on localization barriers to trade.

USCIB Promotes Regulatory Cooperation at Third APEC Senior Officials Meeting

Published on August 21, 2015
L-R: Alexa Burr (ACC), Kate Clemans (Crowell and Moring), Christian Richter (Nickel Institute), Andrew Liu (Chemours), Derek Swick (API), Marianne Heinrich (B&P), Helen Medina (USCIB), Don Wilke (Procter & Gamble), Dusanka Sabic (Accord), Chandra Dantam (Procter & Gamble)
L-R: Alexa Burr (ACC), Kate Clemans (Crowell and Moring), Christian Richter (Nickel Institute), Andrew Liu (Chemours), Derek Swick (API), Marianne Heinrich (B&P), Helen Medina (USCIB), Don Wilke (Procter & Gamble), Dusanka Sabic (Accord), Chandra Dantam (Procter & Gamble)

Central to the modern economy, chemicals and products they are used in are traded widely across borders. Because they add value to so many different consumer goods, chemicals are a staple economic building block for the member countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Regulatory cooperation and good regulatory practices was the focus of this year’s third APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM III) hosted in the Philippines. Trade officials, regulators and industry representatives from the APEC region met for 3 days to share information, discuss various challenges facing the chemicals industry and agree on action items to address issues of mutual concern.

Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, attended SOM III from August 25-29, representing USCIB member views at several important meetings, including the APEC regulators forum, the Chemical Dialogue and a workshop on good regulatory practices.

In addition to Medina, other USCIB members attending those meetings included representatives from the American Chemistry Council, Boeing, American Petroleum Institute, British Petroleum, Chemours, Crowell & Moring, Nickel Institute, P&G and the Society of Chemical Manufactures and Affiliates.

Participants at these meetings agreed to work on the following items:

  • A checklist to promote implementation of the Chemical Dialogue Best Practice Principles
  • Outreach to the APEC Economic Committee for further cooperation, including proposing a potential chemical-specific panel during the EC’s Good Regulatory Practice, which will take place in Peru in 2016.
  • A new document outlining the Chemical Industry Priorities for the Negotiation of Regional and Bilateral Free Trade Agreements
  • A new Capacity Building Workshop related to Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

15th-CHEMICAL-DIALOGUEAt the APEC Chemical Dialogue, USCIB also brought to the table two new ideas to help bolster regulatory cooperation and streamline customs procedures in the APEC region: 1) a self-certification customs form, in which an importer of goods would self-certify that their imports comply, and 2) a regional capacity-building project related to the theme of  “Analogue/Read-across use in Risk Assessment.”