Summary of Simplificación y Armonización Aduanera (Convenio de Kioto).

00:00:00 - 00:30:00

The World Customs Organization (WCO) aims to simplify and harmonize customs procedures to facilitate trade, protect society, and collect customs and taxes associated with international trade. The WCO's mandate has expanded significantly since its inception, which includes maintaining the Harmonized System, allowing for the standardization of how products are classified and valued. The importance of collaboration among customs agencies, and the implementation of automated information exchange systems, is emphasized. The WCO's strategic plan focuses on economic competitiveness, efficient revenue collection, societal protection, and organizational development. Compliance and enforcement are the second pillar of customs, with the use of technology, joint operations, and partnerships with the private sector and other agencies to help with enforcement efforts. The speaker highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in creating competitive and effective customs practices and generating trust and open communication between both sectors.

• 00:00:00 In this section, the speaker thanks Karen for inviting him to the event and expresses his joy to be present with the customs agents. He explains that he has a long history with customs agents as he used to be the Director of Customs in Chile and also served as the Deputy Secretary of the World Customs Organization (WCO). He talks about the important role that customs agents play in international trade and expresses his desire to support customs mobilization processes in Latin America. He then provides some information about the history of the WCO, its global importance, and its mandate, which has expanded significantly since its inception.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the speaker emphasizes that the primary goal of the World Customs Organization (WCO) is to collaborate with customs agencies to simplify and harmonize customs procedures in order to facilitate trade, protect society, and collect customs and taxes associated with international trade. The speaker points out that the WCO's original mandate was to simplify, harmonize, and standardize customs procedures and to establish a common language for international trade. This includes maintaining the Harmonized System, which allows for the standardization of how products are classified and valued for customs purposes. The speaker stresses the need for customs officials to stay up to date with evolving technologies and changing consumer trends and cites the need to implement the latest version of the Harmonized System, which includes new products such as electric vehicles and chemicals that can be harmful to health. The speaker also calls for greater cooperation among customs agencies to ensure the smooth and secure flow of goods across borders.
• 00:10:00 In this section, the importance of collaboration between customs offices is emphasized, with the implementation of automated information exchange systems being key. The need for a comprehensive approach to ensure efficient trade operations is discussed, as a single efficient link is not sufficient if the entire trade chain is not functioning efficiently. The four fundamental pillars of the WCO's strategic plan are laid out, including contributing to economic competitiveness, efficient and just revenue collection, societal protection, and organizational development. The focus on reducing transaction costs and the impact of modern and efficient custom procedures on trade operations is highlighted as a way to generate competitive advantage and attract foreign investment.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the need for secure and controlled customs systems in order to generate investments and competitiveness. In response to this need for trade facilitation, the WTO introduced the Economic Competitiveness Package in 2012, which included the Revised Kyoto Convention. Although this convention does not require the mandatory use of customs agents, the speaker emphasizes the value that agents bring to the international trade chain by creating trust and adding value. The speaker also notes the efforts made by Latin American countries to increase their participation in the convention, with Mexico leading the way and setting an example for other countries to follow.
• 00:20:00 In this section, the speaker discusses how significant events such as the 9/11 attack can drastically change the agenda of customs administrations globally and how the Bali Agreement of 2013 has done the same by making trade facilitation a top priority. He explains that while 85% of the provisions in the agreement are already implemented in Mexico, there is a need for uniform and effective implementation across all 150 members of the World Trade Organization. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the World Customs Organization in achieving this through the application of various tools and instruments, as well as building capacity and providing guidelines for implementing the agreement. He also discusses the Gerardo Mercado Program, which aims to address the specific needs of countries while taking advantage of donor offers for implementation.
• 00:25:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the second pillar of customs, which is compliance and enforcement to face key risks related to international trade, such as intellectual property protection and drug and environmental control. The speaker mentions the use of technology, alliances with the private sector, and joint operations between countries as tools to help with enforcement efforts. The speaker also highlights the importance of customs in revenue collection and the need for capacity building, including the development of people, political will, and partnerships. The speaker emphasizes the need for coordination and coherence in projects through partnerships with all entities, including donors and world banks, for successful implementation.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of public-private partnerships in the customs sector, and how the World Customs Organization (WCO) has prioritized generating conditions for such partnerships. The WCO has created infrastructure to allow the private sector to participate in meetings, given them decision-making roles in some aspects of policy creation, and established principles for building relationships with them. The speaker notes that generating trust and open communication between both sectors is essential for creating competitive and effective customs practices. The WCO is also seeking to receive best practices from countries, including Mexico, and improve communication within the customs administration and with other agencies and the public to increase public understanding of the important role of customs in international trade.