ICC Releases Recommendations for E-Commerce Agreement at WTO
International Chamber of Commerce Secretary General John Danilovich presented industry recommendations for a World Trade Organization e-commerce agreement at WTO’s annual Public Forum in Geneva on Sept. 28, the ICC announced (here). The proposal itself recommends that any e-commerce package include capacity building resources for developing economies, and reflect a WTO review of its telecommunications rules to remove non-tariff barriers, as well as a “light-touch” approach to regulation that allows entry of new businesses into the information and communications technology ecosystem, among other things.
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The agreement should also “aggregate trade, customs, and other applicable rules” on an online program, and target expanding small and medium-size businesses’ access to global Internet platforms and online educational tools, the ICC recommendation says. Recommendations for a WTO e-commerce agreement also include establishing a baseline de minimis level, pre-arrival electronic submission of customs forms, digital customs and duty payments, and government-created customs and duty applications that can mesh with any e-commerce website.
The World Customs Organization and the American Association of Exporters and Importers were also involved at the meeting, the WCO said in a news release (here). Ana Hinojosa, director of Compliance and Facilitation at the WCO, discussed the importance of allowing e-commerce to grow while addressing security concerns, the WCO said. Amazon's director of global trade compliance, Kevin Willis, outlined the "frictions" involved, such as a lack of simple rules to improve compliance among those involved in low-value shipments. The WCO said Norm Schenk, vice president for Global Customs Policy and Public Affairs at UPS Supply Chain Solution, also provided some insight at the meeting on the importance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.