The tenth review of the trade policies and practices of Canada takes place on 15 and 17 June 2015. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Canada.

This has been excerpted from a 15 June 2015 release by the World Trade Organization and is available in its entirety at:
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp414_e.htm

Sixty-six developing country and least-developed country members have now submitted notifications to the WTO outlining which provisions of the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) they intend to implement upon entry into force of the pact.

This has been excerpted from an 11 June 2015 news item by the World Trade Organization and is available in its entirety at:
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news15_e/fac_12jun15_e.htm

We are pleased to share some exciting news regarding Mr. Jorge Oliveira, a past Chairman of the IFCBA.  Mr. Oliveira has been appointed to the Technical Customs Superior Council of Angola which hears the second stage of Customs appeals concerning HS Classification, Customs Valuation and Origin. Mr. Oliveira is one of five Council members.  He was appointed by the Angolan Minister of Finance at the end of 2014 and will serve for a period of five years.

Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Oliveira as he begins this new phase of his career!

The IFCBA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of Mr. Ge Jizhong, Vice-President of the China Customs Brokers Association to the position of IFCBA Managing Director.  Mr. Ge is Chairman of Shanghai Xinhai Customs Brokerage Group Co., Ltd., based in Shanghai.  

On behalf of all members, we congratulate Mr. Ge as he assumes the responsibilities of his new IFCBA role.

On Friday, June 12 in Mumbai, India, IFCBA Chairman Mr. Shantanu Bhadkamkar will be installed as President of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.  Please join us in extending our congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Bhadkamkar as he brings his talents and intellect to this new position!!  As customs brokers, we are thrilled to see one of our own assume this very important leadership role.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has today unveiled findings of a new report on the future of multilateral trade liberalization.

Launched on the margins of the OECD Forum in Paris this week, From Drift to Deals: Advancing the WTO Agenda, sets out a roadmap for a “grand bargain” to bring the long-stalled Doha Round of trade talks to a conclusion and restore the centrality of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a forum for trade liberalization.

Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) could reduce worldwide trade costs by anywhere from 12.5% to 17.5%, according to new OECD analysis, with the greatest benefits accruing in developing countries.

The 2015 OECD Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs) find that countries which implement the TFA in full will reduce their trade costs by anywhere from 1.4 to 3.9 percentage points more than those that only implement the minimum requirements. The greatest opportunities for reductions in trade costs are in low and lower middle income countries.

South Africa and the other BRICS nations need jobs, growth and greater competitiveness. Europe needs jobs, growth and greater competitiveness. The US needs much the same. Better trading terms are a key way to secure these goals for businesses and consumers. They can act too through a multiplier effect in a complex set of value chains and SME supply systems.