Arbitration

Published on June 14, 2023

USCIB Value Add

  • When commercial disputes arise, the dispute resolution services of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) can be relied upon to resolve them efficiently and economically.
  • Working with ICC Conferences or SICANA, USCIB’s Arbitration Committee assists in organizing conferences, seminars and corporate roundtables nationwide to educate the public about ICC’s different dispute resolution services.
  • Meet with officials from countries around the world to discuss the ICC’s arbitration system and other dispute resolution services.
  • Identify opportunities for ICC arbitration and/or ADR to be designated as a means of dispute resolution for domain name and other e-commerce disputes and in multilateral and regional instruments, such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and BITs.
  • Work with the U.S. Department of Commerce to distribute information on the ICC Court to commercial offices in U.S. embassies and consulates.

Magnifying Your Voice with USCIB:

  • Through its affiliation with ICC, USCIB’s Arbitration Committee serves as the primary contact point in the United States for information about the ICC International Court of Arbitration® (the ICC Court) and ICC’s wide range of dispute resolution services.
  • USCIB serves as a contact point for the ICC Court in the United States, nominates Americans to serve as members of the ICC Court and as ICC arbitrators, mediators and experts and acts as a referral source for parties seeking these neutrals or counsel in ICC proceedings.
  • USCIB participates in and nominates its members to serve on the ICC Arbitration Commission and its numerous Task Forces, such as the task forces on Drafting Arbitral Awards, Arbitrating Competition Law Issues, IT in Arbitration, Guidelines for ICC Expertise Proceedings, Criminal Law and Arbitration, Reducing Time and Costs in Complex Arbitration, European Contract Law, and “Amiable Composition and ex aequo et bono” to name a few.
  • Co-sponsor international dispute resolution seminars with international institutions, bar associations, corporate counsel organizations, and potential users of arbitration and other forms of ADR.

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For more information, please visit our Dispute Resolution page

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News Stories

USCIB Invited to Participate in Review of Investment Contracts at UNIDROIT (7/19/2023) - USCIB has been invited to participate in a new workstream to develop guidance for modernization and standardization of international investment…

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Op-Eds and Speeches

USCIB Op-Ed: Supreme Court Limits Discovery in International Commercial Arbitrations (8/10/2022) - Grant Hanessian, former chair of the USCIB Arbitration Committee, shares an opinion piece following the Supreme Court’s decision to limit…

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Chair

Peter J.W. Sherwin
Partner
Proskauer

Staff

Nancy Thevenin
General Counsel
212-703-5047 or nthevenin@uscib.org

Anastasia Teller
Administrative Assistant, Policy
ateller@uscib.org

Subcommittees

Florida and U.S. Caribbean
Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Northeast
Northwest

Subcommittees

Rocky Mountain
Southeast
Southwest
Southern

Subcommittees

Academics
Amicus
Corporate Counsel
Expatriate

Subcommittees

Sole Practitioners
Transactional Lawyers
Task Force on Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Click here for a full list of USCIB Arbitration Committee officers

 

Environment

Published on June 14, 2023

Committee Mission Statement:

USCIB’s Environment Committee is member-driven, benefitting from the involvement of member experts across a range of key sectors, business topics and responsibilities. The Committee emphasizes the economic, competitiveness, market access and employment benefits that are enabled by sound global environmental rules and international cooperation with U.S. Business, with dedication to achieve win-win outcomes and lasting impact.

USCIB’s Environment Committee represents U.S. Business in the global multilateral arena, providing multi-sectoral business solutions, views, expertise, and actions in international environmental policy deliberations.  As the premier representative of American business, USCIB is the only U.S. business group with Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), additionally, USCIB hold official observer status at the UNFCCC, the UN CBD and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Combining this unique access and convening power with its in-house policy expertise, USCIB’s Environment Committee is well-positioned to champion U.S. business interests in a wide range of international policy forums.

The Committee promotes appropriate environmental protection and energy security integrated with open trade, investment, and inclusive economic growth. USCIB calls for enabling frameworks for private sector investment, action, collaboration, and innovation as essential for environmental stewardship and good practice. In representing U.S. Business, USCIB pursues ongoing dialogue with UN officials and the Administration, as well as with other stakeholders.

 

 

 

Trends and Challenges in Environmental Policy Debates:

  • The Paris Agreement, the United Nations 2030 Development Agenda, and the UN Environment Program’s (UNEP) Environment Assembly are reshaping the rules for international commerce and will have a lasting regulatory and reputational impact for US business, affecting market access and investment. Emerging issues, including linkages between international health and environmental policy, have the potential to re-open established policies and practices and could lead to higher costs and other burdens.
  • Rights-based approaches to environmental matters will be part of a proposed Global Pact for Environment, to be launched by the UN and with a potentially broad scope of environmental issues within its mandate for negotiations ahead.
  • Business requires enabling frameworks for investment, action, collaboration and innovation when it comes to promoting environmental stewardship and good practice.

USCIB’s Response:

  • Advocate across multiple channels to establish a recognized business channel into the UNFCCC process, as well as to other UN forums tasked with environment and sustainable development policy. Intergovernmental environmental initiatives will not work if they don’t work with, and for, the private sector, especially since business is expected to support, finance and report on progress.
  • Argue for open markets for trade and investment and IPR protection as essential prerequisites to enable the private sector to provide the innovation, technology and finances needed for international cooperation on climate change and other transboundary environmental issues agreement.
  • Lead a campaign in DC and across multiple UN forums to make the case for inclusion of U.S. business positions and technical input relating to climate change and sustainable development discussions at the following forums:
    • At the UN, where we have official observer status at the UNFCCC, ECOSOC and UNEP
    • At the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), where we are forging stronger links between the business communities of the major emitting countries
    • In Washington, where we are advocating directly to the U.S. government
    • OECD
    • Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)

Magnifying Your Voice with USCIB:

  • USCIB is the only U.S. business association formally affiliated with the world’s three largest business organizations where we work with business leaders across the globe to extend our reach to influence policymakers in key international markets to American business
  • Build consensus with like-minded industry peers and participate in off-the-record briefings with policymakers both home and abroad.

USCIB on LinkedIn

News Stories

Translating Vision Into Action at the Halfway Point: Business for the 2030 Agenda (10/19/2023) - Blog Post by USCIB SVP Norine Kennedy October 19, 2023 Last month in New York, the United Nations General Assembly…
Translating Sustainability Vision Into SDG Action at the Halfway Point: Business for the 2030 Agenda  (10/11/2023) - Last month in New York, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) witnessed unprecedented participation with 40,000…

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Press Releases

Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78 USCIB Publishes Reports with Business Recommendations to Help Scale UN SDGs (9/18/2023) - New York, N.Y., September 18, 2023 — With the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in full swing,…
USCIB Statement on Climate COP Outcomes and US Business (11/28/2022) - New York, N.Y., November 28, 2022—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) sought an “Implementation Plus” approach in the…

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Op-Eds and Speeches

Translating Sustainability Vision Into SDG Action at the Halfway Point: Business for the 2030 Agenda  (10/11/2023) - Last month in New York, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) witnessed unprecedented participation with 40,000…

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Op-Ed: Business Must Come Together to Respond to COVID-19 Now (3/30/2020) - Earlier this month, nearly 500 experts in public health, law and human rights wrote an open letter to U.S Vice…

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Vice Chairs

Paul Hagen
Director
Beveridge & Diamond, PC

Catherine McKalip-Thompson
Manager of Sustainability, Infrastructure
Bechtel Corporation

Justin Perrettson
Head of Sustainability Partnerships, Scouting & Ventures
Novozymes

Staff

Agnes Vinblad
Policy Manager, Environment and Sustainable Development
212-703-5082 or avinblad@uscib.org

 

Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs

Published on June 14, 2023

Trends and Challenges Facing U.S. Business:

  • As company operations have diversified globally and views on the role of business in society evolves, there is a continuing need for evidence-based government policies that distinguish the complementary but distinct roles of governments and business.  The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are the global framework that clarify the duty of governments under international law to protect the human rights of their citizens, the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights in their operations, and the need for greater access to remedy for alleged victims of corporate-related human rights harms.
  • Complex supply chains pose risks for multinational corporations operating globally, through possible exposure to weak or lax enforcement of policies and laws meant to address unfair and unacceptable working conditions like forced labor and child labor. To address these decent work deficits meaningfully, a range of policy tools can be applied to both support and encourage governments to enact the rule of law in their own countries, ranging from targeted development assistance to labor-conditionality in trade preference programs and free trade agreements.
  • The United Nations 2030 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will re-frame corporate sustainability and touch the lives of people everywhere. The scale and ambition of the Agenda creates a tremendous opportunity for the private sector to demonstrate the central role it plays in sustainable development and human prosperity and to serve as an essential partner.

 

USCIB’s Response:

  • Advocate for policies that recognize the different roles of governments and business in ensuring respect for the rule of law and human rights. With the advent of the consensus around the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which USCIB helped shape and which we endorse, we work to ensure that regulatory approaches remain consistent with the established consensus on the balance between the State duty to protect and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights.
  • Help members promote American business leadership in global policy debates by tracking emerging trends in regulatory and civil society expectations, informing members of key developments, and channeling member feedback directly in our engagements with the U.S. Administration and international organizations, including as the U.S. business representative within the UN, International Labor Organization (ILO) and OECD. In doing so, we communicate our members’ consensus views on international labor standards, civil society initiatives and macroeconomic labor market policies.
  • Advocate for the inclusion of the business community in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global, national and local levels and promote USCIB members’ contributions to the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through advocacy platforms, such as Business for 2030, and leveraging exposure through leading conferences and events around UN policy meetings.

Magnifying Your Voice with USCIB:

  • USCIB is the only U.S. business association formally affiliated with the world’s three largest business organizations where we work with business leaders across the globe to extend our reach to influence policymakers in key international markets to American business
  • Build consensus with like-minded industry peers and participate in off-the-record briefings with policymakers both home and abroad.

USCIB on LinkedIn

News Stories

USCIB Member Google Wins Prestigious ACE Award for Women’s Economic Security Work in Poland (11/1/2023) - USCIB member Google received the Department of State's prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence ("ACE Award") in the Women's Economic Security…
USCIB Voices Concern Over UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights (10/27/2023) - The "Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect To Human Rights" convened in Geneva…

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Press Releases

Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78 USCIB Publishes Reports with Business Recommendations to Help Scale UN SDGs (9/18/2023) - New York, N.Y., September 18, 2023 — With the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in full swing,…
USCIB Recognizes World Day Against Trafficking and Stands Firm With Global Community to Eradicate Trafficking (7/31/2023) - New York, N.Y., July 31, 2023—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) supports the global community in recognizing World…

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Chairs

David N. Barnes
Vice President, Global Workforce Policy
IBM Corporation

Tam Robert Nguyen
President, bechtel.org Impact Company
Bechtel Corporation

Vice Chairs

Ryan Larsen
Senior Director, International Labor Relations
Walmart Inc.

Melissa J. Kopolow 
Vice President, Sustainability Practice
Albright Stonebridge Group

Staff

Ewa Staworzynska
Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
212-703-5056 or at ewa@uscib.org

Jose Arroyo
Policy Manager, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
212-703-5083 or at jarroyo@uscib.org

Anastasia Teller
Administrative Assistant, Policy
ateller@uscib.org

Staff

Ronnie Goldberg
Senior Counsel
212-703-5057 or at rgoldberg@uscib.org

Tom Mackall
Senior Counsel and ILO Governing Body Member
tmackall@uscib.org

USCIB Statement on the Revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct

Published on June 9, 2023

New York, N.Y., June 09, 2023—On June 8, OECD governments adopted the revised Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. USCIB and its members have long recognized and promoted the Guidelines as the most comprehensive, government-backed, voluntary practical framework for responsible business conduct. We proudly advocate for responsible business conduct and recognize the crucial role that businesses have in promoting sustainable practices. This revised version, however, promulgates new far-reaching expectations on companies, raising serious concerns about its practicality.

U.S. businesses have consistently demonstrated their leading role in corporate social responsibility, championing initiatives that drive positive change across industries worldwide. Our unwavering commitment to the highest practicable standards for responsible business conduct remains, and we stand ready to support and implement international cooperation across private and public sectors to prioritize sustainability, fair labor practices and social responsibility.

The 2022-2023 revision of the Guidelines has resulted in substantial, far-reaching, and sometimes unimplementable changes, significantly expanding the complexity, scale, and scope of expectations on multinational enterprises and other businesses, posing risks to the Guidelines’ serving as a practical, voluntary reference for companies. Our concerns encompass, among others, upstream and downstream due diligence for an expanded range of business relationships, even beyond contractual agreements, and new approaches on environment and climate change due diligence.

USCIB actively participated in all negotiation rounds as part of Business at OECD (BIAC), and we align with their views on the revised Guidelines. Along the process, we provided constructive, comprehensive, and consensus-based private sector inputs, and while we greatly appreciate the consultations and recognize that many of our comments were reflected in the text, we regret that the revision process was not more aligned with previous practice, when OECD institutional stakeholders co-drafted the text together with the OECD Secretariat, thus ensuring business buy-in.

We welcome the fact that the voluntary and aspirational nature of the Guidelines was preserved. However, we remain concerned that some new provisions might conflict with U.S. law, particularly the right of association for workers without employment relationships. In addition, this document should not be considered as a template for binding regulatory or legislative action at international, regional, national, or local levels.  Effective responsible business conduct legislation depends on laws that are practical and reflect views of the private sector along with realities on the ground. We stand ready to provide guidance and suggestions to governments in this respect.

Companies will need sufficient time to assess the newly introduced complexities. We stress the importance of a balanced approach to implementation, taking into account business realities and complex contexts, especially in states with significant institutional, rule of law or enforcement challenges.

This expression of serious concern should not be interpreted as a rejection of business commitment and action to advance human rights globally, tackle environmental challenges, promote good practices wherever it operates, and contribute to partnership and positive impact for people and planet. We remain committed to the highest responsible business conduct standards, while enabling, facilitating, and supporting conditions for business to thrive and contribute to delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

USCIB and its members look forward to working with the OECD, its member states, and other stakeholders to advance the critical role of business in tackling sustainability challenges, promoting job creation, innovation, and investment, and informing sound policy and its implementation. We are committed to advancing and amplifying OECD’s best implementable practices and will continue to serve as a proponent of and champion for promoting responsible business conduct globally.

About USCIB

The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) advances the global interests of American business. We do so through advocacy for an open system of world trade, finance, and investment, where business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare, and environmental protection.  We play a leading role in informing the negotiation and adoption of international labor standards, and in human rights, labor, and environmental   policy deliberations at the United Nations, OECD, and ILO, as the sole U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Business at OECD (BIAC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE).  In addition, USCIB is the only U.S. business organization with standing at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is recognized at the UN Environment Program (UNEP), UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD).

USCIB Releases Pride Month Statement, Supporting Equality and Inclusion

Published on June 8, 2023

New York, N.Y., June 8, 2023—Article 1 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”  The observation of Pride Month, which this June celebrates the contribution of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals to our communities and our societies, sits firmly in this human rights tradition. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is proud to take this occasion to underscore our commitment and that of our members to support LGBTQI+ equality and inclusion.

In this regard, we applaud the commitment of the U.S. government to support LBGTQ+ rights, including the efforts of U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield to integrate these rights into the work of the UN Security Council.

“We and our companies are committed to treating all individuals with dignity and respect and we call on the international community to fight for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people around the world,” said USCIB Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Ewa Staworzynska. 

Sixty-four countries, nearly half of them in Africa, still have laws that criminalize homosexuality, and at least nine criminalize other forms of gender expression. USCIB will continue to work through our international affiliates to raise the voice of business in the ILO, OECD, and the United Nations to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community around the world.

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. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Business at OECD Releases Statement Ahead of OECD Ministerial Council

Published on June 7, 2023

The OECD Ministerial Council is taking place June 7-8 under the theme, Securing a Resilient Future: Shared Values and Global Partnerships. In light of the Ministerial, Business at OECD (BIAC) has released a statement to the OECD with insights drawn from the forthcoming 2023 Business at OECD Economic Policy Survey. Some of the themes addressed in BIAC’s insights include business concerns about the war in Ukraine, which has exacerbated inflation rate developments, labor shortages and energy prices. BIAC also raises concerns about supply chains disruptions, the need for structural reforms around infrastructure, digitalization, regulatory burdens and green transition.

The Ministerial is taking place amid persistent tension in world affairs, including Russia’s illegal war in the Ukraine, which has resulted in insurmountable human suffering in the Ukraine, as well as humanitarian and economic crises globally. Additionally, economies around the globe continue to face challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges around climate change.

BIAC’s statement emphasizes that this “unsettled world order requires an ever-greater capacity and commitment to multilateral cooperation and collective progress on these common fronts. The engine of societal progress, the world economy, has been paying a high price for an increasingly unstable rules-based international system, and the past year has been challenging for many businesses. The OECD private sector remains committed to defend our common values and rules-based order and continues to support effective government action towards these goals.”

According to BIAC, in the current context, the success of our economies relies on successful diplomacy, meaningful international cooperation and effective multilateralism in support of pragmatic policies.

For more information, please see the links below:

BIAC Statement to the OECD on Securing a Resilient Future: Shared Values and Global Partnerships

2023 Business at OECD Economic Policy Survey

BIAC Year Highlights: How We Delivered Value to Our Members (May 2022-May 2023)

USCIB Welcomes New MTN Project Manageer, Policy Interns in New York and Washington Offices

Published on June 7, 2023

USCIB has welcomed several new staff members in New York and Washington. Please join us in welcoming them to USCIB.

Carina Solling Damm

Carina Solling Damm, Project Manager, Moving the Needle Initiative (New York office)

Damm is an expert on the private sector and innovation, having worked with the Danish Foreign Ministry, including in support of the Danish Mission to the UN and Danish Consulate, and with Novo Nordisk.

She lives in NYC, and is supporting USCIB’s Moving the Needle initiative in its second phase, through the end of the year.

Katrina Sousounis

Katrina Sousounis, Summer Policy Intern, Climate and SDGs (New York office)

Sousounis is a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, having just completed her degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies.  She will be assisting with a Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF) project in preparation for the Dubai Climate meetings, and supporting the Business and Industry delegation at the July UN  High Level Political Forum in NYC.

She is working with USCIB’s NYC team through the summer before she moves to Washington DC to begin a job on climate change in the Administration.

Daniel Zaretsky

Daniel Zaretsky, Summer Policy Intern, Trade, Chemicals, Customs and Tax (Washington office)

Zaretsky is a standing senior at American University where he is completing a degree in Political Science and International Business. He most recently completed a six-month study abroad opportunity in Italy where he worked as a United Nations FAO Press Intern at the Inter Press Service.

He will be assisting USCIB Washington DC staff across multiple policy areas including Trade, Chemicals, Customs and Tax, as well as Communications.

USCIB Participates in US-EU Trade and Technology Council Meeting in Sweden

Published on June 7, 2023

USCIB Vice President for International Investment and Trade Policy Alice Slayton Clark was in Luleå, Sweden to attend the fourth meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), a platform to advance Transatlantic cooperation and democratic approaches to trade, technology, and security.   

An official delegate, Clark served as a principal in the TTC’s Trade and Labor Dialogue (TALD), a selective exchange between business and unions on both sides of the Atlantic to explore policies related to the intersection of trade, labor and technology. The meeting in Luleå showcased an agreement on forced labor trade strategy principles reached between business and labor partners. The principles reflect inputs from USCIB members on the need for a “multifaceted” approach involving diplomacy, foreign assistance, capacity building, and supply chain due diligence to address the root causes of the problem. Because industry and unions could not reach agreement on the role of border enforcement as a trade tool, footnotes were inserted to reflect differences. 

“USCIB is pleased business and unions were able to agree through the TALD process on principles to address forced labor,” Clark asserted.  “Importantly, the document notes industry support for incentives rather than punitive border measures as trade tools of choice to prevent violative goods from being produced and entering into commerce in the first place.”    

Also discussed by TALD participants were trade and labor issues linked to the green transition, a topic of key concern to the US and EU and showcased in official visits to the green steel Hybrit plant in Luleå. USCIB initial views on the topic promoted a comprehensive strategy of trade, investment, education and training policies. USCIB will work with members to develop these points as the TALD green transition discussions continue in the months ahead.   

Importantly, the TTC meeting also produced a Joint Statement that reaffirms transatlantic alignment on the war in Ukraine, reform of the World Trade Organization, policies against economic coercion and pursuit of supply chain diversification. Many issues discussed at the meeting reflect transatlantic convergence on policies related to Russia and China. As such, according to Clark, the TTC continues to draw high level government participation including full engagement from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and European Commission Executive Vice President Margreth Vestager.     

Other key issues advanced in Luleå were the launch of principal level consultations to head off subsidy races for the semiconductor industry, a task force to address cooperation in quantum technologies, the development of a work program for the Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade, exploration of increased use of digital tools to enhance trade, continued cooperation on export controls, illegal diversion of technologies and sanctions, availability of critical minerals, and managing emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence. 

USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee Meets in Chicago

Published on June 1, 2023

USCIB held its Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee (CFTC) meeting at Google’s Chicago offices on May 16. 

The meeting, which was attended by USCIB members and staff, included a robust agenda. 

According to USCIB Senior Director for Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin, members were updated on and discussed the work of the ICC Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission. Topics addressed included the ICC’s paper on transboundary waste for recovery, 21 CCF/ Customs Modernization, Forced Labor, the Green Trade Innovation and Incentives Forum scheduled for July 11th and related CBP Federal Register Notice call for comments as well as other priority CFT topics.  

The Committee also received updates on the work of both the World Trade Organization (WT0) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Regarding the WTO, updates included work undertaken by the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation, such as those pertaining to, for example, Indonesia Regulation 190 and humanitarian cargo / shipments. WCO matters included the upcoming Secretary General (SG) election, discussion on recent and upcoming meetings in the technical classification and valuation space. 

Following the meeting, Google hosted an outdoor, rooftop, networking reception.  

USCIB Conducts eATA Carnet Pilot With CBP at JFK Airport

Published on June 1, 2023

USCIB collaborated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Headquarters staff and leaders from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on a training, hosted on-site at JFK in New York on February 7, 2023. The goal of the training was to educate customs officers on the “eATA” Carnet System and process.

This training built on past trainings with JFK officers and advanced implementation of the eATA test at JFK. The “eATA” is the digital version of the ATA Carnet, currently a paper-based unified customs document used for the temporary movement of goods that are free of customs duties and taxes across the 79 countries and territories that are part of the ATA Carnet system. ATA Carnets are critical tools of trade facilitation for companies of all sizes, especially the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), which can be used for multiple trips into countries that are party to the ATA System, providing, for example, reduced cost to Holders as well as greater predictability at each customs border.

The joint USCIB-CBP HQ hands-on training at JFK was in preparation for Holder (user) selection and formal launch of the eATA test at JFK, according to USCIB Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Declan Daly. The ICC World Chamber Federation pilot, which the U.S. is participating in, is supported by the World Customs Organization (WCO).

Belgium, China, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are also participating in the pilot.

According to Daly, this training included end-to-end processing of several eATA Carnets in a test environment. USCIB is working in close collaboration with CBP HQ, JFK and ICC WCF IT developers of the eATA Carnet on next steps.

“We hope to conduct further testing in the coming months at other port locations beyond JFK, as well as engage in dialogue with Canada in partnership with the CBP, Canada Customs and the Canadian NGA,” added Daly.

The eATA System is developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) World Chambers Federation (WCF). USCIB manages and guarantees the ATA Carnet system in the United States. USCIB’s Daly is part of the ICC WCF’s eATA Project Team responsible for the development and rollout of the new digital ATA Carnet (eATA) system and has also recently been elected Vice Chair of the World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC).