At the invitation of Mr. Shantanu Bhadkamkar, Chairman of the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the IFCBA World Conference held in Shanghai, China, from 18 to 20 May 2016.
The Conference was attended by over 400 Customs brokers and delegates from 21 countries, who discussed a wide-ranging agenda with the overarching theme “Facilitating trade through the Customs-Business cooperation”.
At the opening ceremony, Mr. Lu Peijun, Vice-Minister and Deputy Director of the Board of China Customs, highlighted the key role of Customs to contribute to trade facilitation and economic competitiveness, emphasizing the various projects China Customs is working on in this area, including the “One Belt One Road” initiative.
After the opening, Deputy Secretary General Mujica presented the main activities and developments of the WCO during the last year, emphasizing the importance of Customs- Business cooperation, as well as the role of Customs brokers in supporting the international trading system and Customs administrations’ activities.
On the second day of the Conference, Mr. Mujica presented the outcomes of the survey on Customs brokers conducted by the WCO Secretariat, inviting the delegates to further explore areas where Customs and Customs brokers can cooperate more effectively to enhance trade facilitation and improve compliance, in particular with a view to strengthening their capacity and professionalism.
During his mission to China, the Deputy Secretary General also travelled to Beijing for a bilateral meeting with Mr. Sun Yibiao, Vice-Minister of China Customs. The main topics discussed were the latest developments in the WCO and the various initiatives China Customs is implementing to continue its modernization process. Mr. Mujica also thanked China Customs for the strong support it provides to the WCO, including for the implementation of the Organization’s Strategic Plan.
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