In this issue...
UK Prepares for Impact of WTO's Cancún Negotiations
In order to establish a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective of the vital decisions taken at the World Trade Organisation's Fifth Ministerial Conference in Cancún this September, SITPRO, the CBI and ICC.UK are holding an International Trade Conference on Tuesday 21st October to discuss 'World Trade Post-Cancún'. [... full story]
Trade Facilitation for the New EU
By next May the European Union will be the largest single market in the world, with some 500 million consumers. Independent research suggests that accession of central and eastern EU applicants will boost UK GDP by £1.75 billion. In order to highlight the benefits of national and international trade facilitation for the EU enlargement countries, DTI, SITPRO and HM Customs & Excise held a seminar on 9 June. [... full story]
Electronic Customs Debate at Berlin Tripartite Meeting
Berlin was the setting in June for the fourth annual meeting of a tripartite group consisting of EFA, a German organisation of academics and businesses looking at European trade and customs law, ODASCE, a French body that promotes trade facilitation and procedural simplifications involving the use of new technology, and SITPRO. [... full story]
The Road to Cancún winds through Johannesburg
Continuing its work to support the beginning of negotiations on trade facilitation at the next WTO Ministerial Conference, SITPRO together with the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), held a "roundtable" on trade facilitation in Boksburg in Johannesburg on 19-20 June, hosted by the South African Revenue Service. Representatives from 13, mostly developing, nations attended the meeting, from the areas of customs, trade policy and business. [... full story]
US Officials Search for Weapons at Felixstowe
In early June, the first US Customs Border Protection (CBP) officers arrived at Felixstowe as part of the UK Customs agreement with the CBP to take part in the Container Security Initiative (CSI). UK officers will be carrying out checks on export goods destined for the USA, working with US officers on risk assessment and target identification. [... full story]
...and Plan Paperwork Explosion for Food Shipments
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced the Bioterrorism Act, legislation that lays down new requirements for anyone handling, storing and shipping (most) foodstuffs to the USA. The US authorities have consulted widely and announced the changes using a number of different media including worldwide satellite broadcasts. [... full story]
News in Brief
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