Growth, Jobs and Open Markets Archives

USCIB Member Wins State Departments Corporate Excellence Award

Published on December 9, 2014
L-R: Charles Rivkin (U.S. State Dept.), Cathy Novelli (U.S. State Dept.) and Ahmet Bozer (Coca-Cola). Photo Credit: U.S. State Department.
L-R: Charles Rivkin (U.S. State Dept.), Cathy Novelli (U.S. State Dept.) and Ahmet Bozer (Coca-Cola).
Photo Credit: U.S. State Department.

For the fourth time in five years, a USCIB member has won the U.S. State Department’s Award for Corporate Excellence, an honor bestowed on U.S. companies that undertake responsible business activities to improve lives and advance the needs of local communities around the world.

The Coca-Cola Company received the 2014 Corporate Excellence Award for providing disaster relief services to areas in the Philippines devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. Coca-Cola improved water quality through its efforts to support watersheds, increase access to safe water, and educate communities on water conservation.

The company also partnered with the Philippines Department of Education to increase access to primary education for more than 60,000 disadvantaged children.

This year’s other awardees included Wagner Asia Equipment for its commitment to public-private partnerships in Mongolia to protect the environment, and EcoPlanet Bamboo Group for its sustainable development work regenerating degraded pasturelands in Nicaragua. Wagner is one of the largest Caterpillar dealers in the western United States, and Caterpillar is a longtime USCIB member.

Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB vice president for labor affairs, corporate responsibility and corporate governance, reflected that the awardees’ efforts were “perfect examples of the way the private sector can minimize its impacts on the environment and society and also proactively partner with the public sector to respect and promote basic human rights where they operate, which is key to securing and preserving their social license to operate.”

Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, and Eva Hampl, director for investment trade and financial services, attended the Corporate Excellence Award ceremony at the State Department, officiated Cathy Novelli, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, and Ambassador Charles Rivkin, assistant secretary in the bureau of economic and business affairs at the State Department. Novelli presented the Corporate Excellence Award to Ahmet Bozer, Coca-Cola’s executive vice president and president of Coca-Cola International.

Coca-Cola also won the Corporate Excellence Award in 2002 for its work in Egypt. Recent USCIB member winners have included Intel in 2012, Proctor and Gamble in 2011, and Cisco in 2010. Two other USCIB members, General Electric and Chevron were among the other finalists for this year’s award.

Read Ambassador Rivkin’s remarks at the 16th Annual Awards for Corporate Excellence.

For more information on State’s Corporate Excellence Award, please visit: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/ace

Staff contacts: Shaun Donnelly and Eva Hampl

New OECD Report Will Help Fight Transnational Bribery

Published on December 2, 2014

scalesToday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development launched its Foreign Bribery Report in Paris. The report presents an analysis of foreign bribery cases that have been concluded since 1999, and it is intended to help combat transnational corruption.

The launch event included an opening address by OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, an address by French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira, and a panel discussion with experts, including, GE Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel Brackett B. Denniston, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell, chair of Transparency International José Carlos Ugaz, and Siemens Chief Compliance Officer Klaus Moosmayer, who is also the chair of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) Task Force on Anti-Corruption/Bribery.

Shaun Donnelly, vice president of investment and financial services at USCIB, as well as Kimberley Claman, senior vice president of international government affairs at Citi, represented USCIB at this event. They were joined by Hanni Rosenbaum, senior policy director at BIAC, who leads their anti-bribery effort.

The report provides an analysis of 427 foreign bribery cases that have been concluded since the entry into force of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in 1999. Key findings include that 53 percent of cases involved corporate management or CEOs, one in three cases were instigated by self-reporting (versus only two percent of cases by whistleblowers), 57 percent of cases involved bribes to obtain public procurement contracts, a staggering 75 percent of cases involved payments through intermediaries, and 69 percent of cases were settled with sanctions.

The various speakers all noted the groundbreaking importance of the report, however also emphasized that understanding the problem is only part of the solution. Addressing this point, the report concludes with Next Steps, including a list of ideas for future work, such as annual updates, a public database, further study of SOEs, or additional study of the demand side of bribery, a point Secretary General Gurria also noted in his comments.

This OECD report presents an important step forward in the OECD’s anti-bribery work surrounding the Convention.

Staff contacts: Shaun Donnelly and Eva Hampl

Global Business Urges Take the Emotion Out of the ISDS Debate

Published on November 27, 2014

The Financial Times has published a letter from Winand Quaedvlieg, chair of the Committee on International Investment at the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, expressing concern about the emotionally charged debate over investor-state dispute settlement in international trade agreements.

This issue has attracted attention from activists and politicians in Europe and elsewhere in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and other negotiations. USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson touched on the backlash against ISDS in a recent column.

The BIAC letter is reproduced below, and can also be read on the Financial Times website.

Sir, The international business community is extremely concerned about the negative tone, and the lack of balance, in the debate on investment protection and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). Investment protection is indispensable in any investment regime or agreement. And ISDS is a necessary element of investment protection, not only in agreements with developing countries but in every agreement. It is an integral part of the system.

ISDS was created 50 years ago as an instrument to enforce the rule of law: to protect foreign investors against frequent arbitrary behavior of host states and to guarantee them a fair process. Host states have much more power than foreign companies and there is always a risk of biased national courts. But now some in the public debate are turning the issue upside down. Investment protection is framed as a demonic instrument for evil companies to bar innocent states from promoting the public good. This is a caricature. The populist argument against ISDS is totally out of proportion.

According to UNCTAD, the world stock of foreign direct investment is close to $26tn. ISDS has existed for 50 years, during which there have been 568 documented cases. Of these, 274 have been decided upon: 43 per cent were decided in favor of the government, 26 per cent were settled and 31 per cent, about 85 cases, were decided in favor of the company. Only a very few of these led to public debate.

A trade diplomat of a large emerging economy recently said: “If you compare the advantages of the total stock of FDI in my country with the number of ISDS cases we lost, it was a very good bargain.” Seen in this light, ISDS does not justify the current highly emotional debate. This does not mean that the existing system should not be discussed. In the current debate, a number of issues have been raised: transparency of procedures, the compatibility of investment protection and governments’ ability to regulate, introducing an appeal mechanism, a new code of conduct for arbitrators, early discharge of frivolous claims, improvement of timing and enforcement, or alternative dispute resolution. It is the role of governments and organizations such as the OECD and UNCTAD to help de-escalate the discussion and make it rational and fact-based. Business is prepared to participate actively in the debate.

Winand Quaedvlieg

Chair of the Committee on International Investment, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC)

Staff contacts: Shaun Donnelly and Eva Hampl

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B20 Welcomes G20 Commitments on Growth Job Creation

Published on November 17, 2014
USCIB and ICC Chairman Terry McGraw addresses the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia.
USCIB and ICC Chairman Terry McGraw addresses the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia.

The B20 business coalition has welcomed G20 commitments to implement an ambitious structural reform agenda which will lift global GDP by more than two per cent above expectations over the next five years and create millions of new jobs.

Richard Goyder, B20 chair, said the international business community welcomed commitments made by G20 leaders in the communiqué and Brisbane Action Plan on infrastructure, human capital, financial regulation, trade and anti-corruption.

During the G20 leaders summit in Brisbane, Australia this past weekend, Terry McGraw, chair of USCIB and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), joined a small group of business leaders in meetings with the G20 leaders and other senior ministers to discuss the B20 recommendations.

The G20 leaders released a final communiqué which includes several items that the B20 has actively supported. The B20 issued a media release commenting on the communiqué that highlights several key elements form the leaders statement:

  • B20 fully supports the G20 Global Infrastructure Initiative, a multi-year work program to lift quality public and private infrastructure investment, particularly the establishment of the Global Infrastructure Hub.
  • On trade, B20 welcomed the G20’s commitment to build a stronger trading system based on a robust and effective World Trade Organization.  Accelerating commitments on trade facilitation was a core recommendation of the B20 this year, so the recent breakthrough on implementation was welcome.
  • Improvements to global supply chains and the reforms outlined in individual country growth strategies to facilitate trade by lowering costs, streamlining customs procedures, reducing regulatory burdens and strengthening trade-enabling services will benefit society broadly.
  • B20 was encouraged by the G20’s commitment to improve transparency in the public and private sectors as corruption is a major obstacle to sustainable economic, political and social development.

The three legs of USCIB’s global network – ICC, the International Organization of Employers and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – all contribute to the B20 process, which provides global business leaders with a forum for producing policy recommendations to be delivered at the annual G20 meeting, reflecting the key role the private sector plays as a driver of strong, sustainable growth.

Read More: ICC Calls on G20 to Maintain Momentum on Growth and Jobs Agenda

Heads of Western Hemisphere ICC Chapters Chart Course for the Future

Published on November 14, 2014
Leaders of ICC’s Americas National Committees meeting with ICC secretary general John Danilovich (back row center, in red tie) with USCIB President Peter Robinson (back row, second from left) in Bogota, Colombia.
Leaders of ICC’s Americas National Committees meeting with ICC secretary general John Danilovich (back row center, in red tie) with USCIB President Peter Robinson (back row, second from left) in Bogota, Colombia.

Leaders of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) national committees in the Americas convened in Bogota, Columbia on Wednesday to review issues and priorities with ICC Secretary General John Danilovich, and to review institutional development within the region.

During the meeting, USCIB’s President and CEO Peter Robinson gave a presentation on the upcoming ICC and USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium in Miami in February, which generated interest among attendees. He also covered the ICC’s program of action on trade and investment, supporting high standards in multilateral investment agreements, highlighting the importance of investor protections in trade agreements and stressing the power of national committee collaboration in promoting key issues like the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. He also stressed the importance of business input into UN deliberations including the post-2015 Development Agenda and climate change negotiations.

Leaders expressed a desire to improve communication of ICC position statements to governments. Robinson noted that good messaging is important for national committees to raise their visibility with their governments and their members. He and the other national committee heads were grateful for the gracious hosting by the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and the secretary general of ICC-Colombia, Gustavo Andres Piedrahita.

Staff contact: Peter Robinson

World Trade Back on Track – USCIB applauds breakthrough on implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement

Published on November 13, 2014
President Obama with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in September (White House photo)
President Obama with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in September (White House photo)

New York, N.Y., November 13, 2014 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) hailed today’s announcement by the United States and India of a breakthrough to end the impasse over implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

“This is very welcome news and paves the way to bring the landmark TFA deal into effect,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “It will provide a big boost to the U.S. and global economies at a critical time. Coupled with the announcement this week of an agreement with China to move forward on expanding the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement, this demonstrates the continued importance of multilateral trade liberalization in the 21st-century global economy.”

Robinson added: “We especially commend U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team for their extraordinary, tireless efforts to find a solution to this frustrating deadlock. This agreement shows again the unique power of American leadership to find creative solutions to some of the toughest problems facing the world today.”

USCIB has pushed hard for resolution of the impasse, which arose in July when India blocked implementation of the TFA in a dispute over its food security measures. It has also worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce, the world business organization for which USCIB serves as the American national committee, to get the TFA back on track.

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich added: “Coming on the eve of the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, this breakthrough is not only welcome but extremely timely, laying the foundation for G20 leaders to forge ahead with a robust agenda for global growth and job creation.”

USCIB will honor WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo at its International Leadership Award Dinner on November 19 in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Froman is scheduled to address the dinner.

Under the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which was concluded at last December’s WTO ministerial in Bali, Indonesia. WTO members commit to remove administrative and customs-related barriers to trade, in order to speed shipment of goods across borders. Once implemented, the TFA is expected to spur global economic growth and create some 21 million new jobs – 18 million in developing countries – while adding $1 trillion to global GDP.

Robinson said the business community was committed to helping developing countries implement the TFA. USCIB and ICC plan to hold a joint symposium on customs and trade facilitation this February in Miami.

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contacts:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

USCIB +200 Orgs Urge Congress to Pass TPA Legislation

Published on November 12, 2014

USCIB joined 200 business and agricultural groups in signing a letter to Congressional leaders urging the passage of bipartisan legislation to modernize the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) this year.

As part of the Trade Benefits America Coalition, USCIB and the other groups wrote:

“Congressional action on TPA is needed to help ensure high standard outcomes in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which the United States and 11 other Asia-Pacific countries are striving to complete. By passing TPA, Congress will also help ensure strong outcomes in the other ongoing talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), and an agreement to eliminate tariffs on environmental goods. These initiatives hold tremendous potential to: help U.S. companies of all sizes, farmers and workers buy and sell goods and services in the global marketplace; set strong, enforceable trade rules; and support U.S. growth and jobs.

“…We are eager to work with you, your colleagues in the House and senate, and the Administration to pass bipartisan TPA legislation before the end of the year.”

Read the full text of the letter.

For more information on the importance of passing modernized TPA to support U.S. growth and jobs, visit www.tradebenefitsamerica.org. The Trade Benefits America Coalition, of which USCIB is a member, includes a wide range of associations and companies that are dedicated to the pursuit of U.S. international trade agreements that benefit American businesses, farmers, workers and consumers. The Coalition believes that passage of modernized Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation is important to help ensure America continues to benefit from trade.

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

TFA Crucial for Development ICC Tells India

Published on November 12, 2014
ICC Secretary General John Danilovich in India
ICC Secretary General John Danilovich in India

In a meeting last week with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General John Danilovich and Executive Director of ICC India Ashok Ummat, Indian Secretary of Commerce Rajeev Kher said that the Indian government was aware of the critical importance of the multilateral trading framework and on-going negotiations on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

Danilovich stressed that India’s ratification of the TFA was crucial to advancing multilateral trade negotiations. He said that if fully ratified, the agreement, along with other elements of the Bali package agreed to at the WTO ministerial meeting in December 2013, has a potential to inject $1 trillion into the global economy and create 21 million jobs, including 18 million in the developing world.

Leading an ICC delegation that included ICC India Vice President Sandip Somany and ICC India former president Sushil Jiwarajka, Danilovich also stressed the importance of TFA ratification during a meeting with the Indian Sherpa to the G20, Suresh Prabhu.

Prabhu reiterated that the Indian government did not object to the TFA but wanted the WTO to extend the peace clause until a concrete solution could be reached on food security and said that the Indian Ambassador was still talking with the WTO on this issue.

Staff contact: Rob Mulligan

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

USCIB Issues Policy Pillars on Foreign Direct Investment

Published on November 10, 2014

4878_image001New York, N.Y., November 10, 2014 – Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a prime motor of the global economy, boosting job growth and incomes in both home and host countries. What’s more, policy makers increasingly identify FDI as a critical element in financing and delivering innovative solutions to shared global challenges, such as climate change and sustainable development.

In many ongoing trade and investment negotiations as well as other global forums, however, sensible policies to promote cross-border investment are increasingly under broad, politicized attack. To help set the record straight, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) has issued new “Policy Pillars on Foreign Direct Investment.”

“The time is right for a refresher course on the benefits of FDI,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “Our members share a fundamental belief in the importance of cross-border trade and investment as engines of growth and human betterment. Yet many fundamental tools to boost FDI are poorly understood or under assault.”

The nine-point USCIB paper, developed under the auspices of the Council’s Trade and Investment committee, presents essential lessons and reminders to policy makers, including:

  • Clear, well-implemented government policies, and strong investment agreements, are essential to attract and retain high-quality FDI.
  • Bilateral investment treaties must protect investments, open up host economies for foreign investment and provide effective rules to settle investment disputes.
  • State-owned enterprises present a range of challenges to home and host countries in crafting effective FDI policies.
  • Governments should provide effective support for both inbound and outbound FDI.
  • National security concerns surrounding specific investments must be dealt with in a clear, limited and non-discriminatory manner.

“Governments and the international community must take positive steps in order to promote and secure high-quality FDI,” said Robinson. “It is increasingly apparent that, in the 21st century, investment is a crucial component not just for the competitiveness of companies, or even of national economies, but for our global society as a whole as we confront a wide range of shared challenges.”

Release of the USCIB Policy Pillars follows participation by Robinson and Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment policy, in last month’s UNCTAD World Investment Forum in Geneva, as well as a well-attended USCIB/OECD conference last week in Washington, D.C. on new directions in trade and investment policies. It also comes as USCIB is actively presenting the views of business in the UN climate change negotiations and the ongoing elaboration of new UN Sustainable Development Goals.

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.
Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

USCIB Champions Regional Integration at APEC CEO Summit

Published on November 10, 2014
More: Business Applauds APEC’s Work on Trade Facilitation

L-R: Hai Ling (Mastercard), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Leocadia Zak (USTDA), Peter Sykes (Dow Chemical), Leslie Griffin (UPS) and Anthony Nightingale (Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited
L-R: Hai Ling (Mastercard), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Leocadia Zak (USTDA), Peter Sykes (Dow Chemical), Leslie Griffin (UPS) and Anthony Nightingale (Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited

Thousands of delegates from around the world gathered in Beijing from November 8 to 10 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.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and Helen Medina, senior director of product policy and innovation, attended the summit and met with USCIB members and government officials to discuss American business priorities in the region.

Robinson hosted a bilateral discussion with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Charles Rivkin. Company representatives raised several concerns, including the need to move forward on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the importance of bilateral investment treaties, and the need to secure a high standard of intellectual property rights in TPP.

President Obama delivered a speech at the APEC Summit on Monday on U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pacific region and the value of trade and economic integration.

“In the 21st century, the pursuit of economic growth, job creation and trade is not a zero-sum game. One country’s prosperity doesn’t have to come at the expense of another’s,” Obama said. “If we work together, and act together, strengthening the economic ties between our nations will benefit all our nations. That’s true for the nations of APEC, and I believe it’s particularly true for the relationship between the United States and China.”

Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening APEC’s Economic Integration

USCIB organized an event, “Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening the Backbone for Greater Economic Integration Across APEC,” through the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. The event convened government and business leaders to discuss the role global value chains (GVCs) play in bolstering Pacific Rim economies.

“In our highly interconnected world, participation in GVCs can produce considerable gains,” said Robinson. “According to a report last year by the OECD, WTO and UNCTAD, developing economies with the fastest growing GVC participation have per-capita GDP growth rates two percent above the average. Likewise, countries that attract more foreign direct investment tend to have higher GVC participation levels and to generate more value added from trade.”

Healthy economies require solid transportation infrastructure and modern customs systems. U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Leocadia Zak explained that USTDA has strengthened global value chains in APEC by targeting projects that secure transportation system upgrades. Customs modernization policies are critical for creating an effective global value chain that promotes international trade.

“The U.S. Trade & Development Agency has been pleased to work with public and private sector partners throughout the APEC region to modernize transportation and customs system networks,” said Zak. “This work has not only demonstrated advanced U.S. technologies, but has also led to more efficient global value chains that enable U.S. goods to flow more freely across and within APEC economies.”

The private sector, particularly logistics providers, has an important role to play in streamline trade and the flow of goods along the value chain. UPS’s senior vice president for international public policy Leslie Griffin noted that logistics providers do more than simply store and move goods, they coordinate traditional logistics competencies with manufacturing, distribution, sales and value-add services like customs clearance.

“Intensifying competition and changing customer demands for goods and services have made global value chains more complex and difficult to manage,” Griffin said. “In this environment, logistics providers have become value chain integrators.”

During the discussion, companies identified a number of obstacles that APEC economies must overcome in order to leverage the benefits of global value chains:

  • forced localization requirements that impede the flow of goods and services;
  • restrictions on cross border data flows, which limit cloud computing and e-commerce;
  • differences in customs procedures, including duplicative document requirements and complicated administrative requirements, which result in multiplied costs and time to reach the market;
  • lack of regulatory transparency and additional regulatory barriers for products or services from country to country.

Robinson also attended a “Women in the Economy” side meeting hosted by USCIB members Microsoft, Chevron and Wal-Mart in coordination with the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. APEC officials reiterated the importance of equal gender participation in the economy, and USCIB will continue to advocate for the inclusion of this issue throughout the work of APEC, as outlined in our priorities.

USCIB recently released its “2015 APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations,” which outlines policies that APEC economies can pursue towards freer trade, greater economic integration, and easier movement of goods and services across borders and along the value chain. USCIB will continue to work within APEC with our business and government partners in the coming Philippines host year to ensure that these issues remain in the agenda.

Staff contacts: Helen Medina and Rachel Spence

More on USCIB’s APEC Working Group

Business Applauds APEC’s Work on Trade Facilitation

The U.S. private sector applauded APEC’s efforts to forge ahead on initiatives to accelerate trade and economic growth through the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2), amid challenges surrounding implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation.

In 2010, APEC Leaders committed to achieve a 10 percent improvement by 2015 in the performance of the regional supply chain, as measured by reductions in cost, time, and uncertainty. In 2014, APEC established the A2C2 to leverage outside expertise in helping developing economies improve supply chain performance through targeted, focused capacity building and technical assistance.

In a joint statement, USCIB and the National Center for APEC called the effort “a strong example of the kind of substantive work APEC is doing to improve supply chain performance and help economies implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.”

“U.S. companies and associations trading in the Asia-Pacific have valuable experience moving goods and services seamlessly, quickly, and inexpensively through the region. The A2C2 is an excellent opportunity for the U.S. private sector to lend its expertise to APEC’s supply chain initiative on an ongoing and substantive basis,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

Staff contact: Kristin Isabelli

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee