INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General John Danilovich met with World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya at WCO Headquarters in Brussels earlier this week to discuss ways to strengthen the relationship between the world business community and Customs to facilitate cross-border trade.

Joined by Norman Shenk, Chair of the ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation and UPS Vice-President of Global Customs Policy and Public Affairs, Mr Danilovich highlighted the role of the ICC World Chambers Federation in co-administering the ATA Carnet System and cooperating with Customs in the area of Certificates of Origin, as well as through ICC's Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative to stop counterfeited goods at borders and prevent free trade zones becoming hotspots for illicit trade and organized crime groups.

Discussions also included specific challenges that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) encounter when trading across borders, customs valuation ceilings for goods known as de minimis , rules of origin and the increasing importance of e-commerce and global value chains.

Thanking Mr Mikuriya for making the customs-business cooperation a priority, Mr Danilovich also reaffirmed ICC's ongoing support for the WCO's work on trade facilitation and in particular for the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) that aims to enhance trade flows.

"Given that the agreement deals almost entirely with Customs-related topics, trade ministries, Customs and business must all be involved at country-level to ensure the TFA's successful implementation," Mr Danilovich said.

Through the Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation, ICC is actively engaged in the WCO Working Group on the implementation of the TFA.

Under the chairmanship of Mr Schenk, the commission provides strategic advice and expertise, namely on Authorized Economic Operator Programmes, and a number of technical issues such as Customs Classification (in the WCO Harmonized System Committee) and on Customs Valuation (in the WCO Technical Committee on Customs Valuation).

In line with a longstanding relationship dating back to when the WCO was created in the 1950s, both organizations concluded the meeting by reaffirming support for the modernization of Customs as a core means of enhancing the supply chain and economic competitiveness.

Mr Mikuriya has emphasized on many occasions that Customs and business are natural allies in trade facilitation and will be a keynote speaker at the Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium, hosted by ICC and the United States Council for International Business (ICC USA), to take place in Miami next month.The ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation has approximately 250 members from close to 50 countries.

Commission members comprise Customs representatives, transport and logistics specialists from ICC member companies and business representative organizations.

www.iccwbo.org

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AUSTRALIA’s biggest ever trade mission to India will formally commence today, beginning a week-long series of events designed to enhance trade, education, investment and tourism ties with the world’s third-largest economy.

Australia Business Week in India (ABWI) will see more than 450 business leaders visit India’s major cities to meet their Indian counterparts. The mission also incorporated participation in yesterday’s Vibrant Gujarat 2015 summit.

Bruce Gosper, CEO of Austrade, said, “This trade mission is an important way to inform India’s business community about Australia’s commercial strengths and for our nation’s business people to get a closer look at what India has to offer.

“The sheer size of the mission makes it an important step in Australia’s ongoing efforts to develop trade, investment, education and tourism ties with India,” he said.

Led by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, the mission was organised by Austrade and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

“The response to this mission has been impressive and indicates that Australian business is aware of the opportunities and interested in engaging with India in a commercial sense,” Mr Gosper said.

“What is important about ABWI is that business people will get the chance to meet their counterparts face to face, a type of engagement that helps identify real commercial outcomes.”

Nicola Watkinson, Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for South Asia, said ABWI delegates would visit multiple cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Ludhiana. They would meet leading representatives of India’s business community and attend a series of high-level investment roundtables.

“The delegates represent a significant cross section of Australian industry in areas identified as having the best opportunities in the Indian market. These include resources and energy, tourism, infrastructure, transport, agribusiness and food, financial services, health and medical, as well as education and training,” she said.

"Australia has strong capabilities which can help India better utilise its natural resources, increase water, food and energy security, and serve its changing demography and increasingly affluent population.

"India is looking for ways to improve its innovation output and Australia’s world-class education system and strong innovation credentials can help.”

ABWI follows the successful trade mission to China in April last year, Australia Week in China (AWIC), which was also coordinated by Austrade and DFAT.

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THE Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Ministry for the Arts are undertaking a review of the Temporary Work (Entertainment) visa (Subclass 420).

The review is in support of the Australian Government's commitment to reducing the burden and cost of unnecessary or inefficient regulation imposed on individuals, business and community organisations.

The Subclass 420 visa allows visa holders to work temporarily in Australia in the entertainment industry in film, television or live productions in either a performance or in a role behind the scenes.

• Find out more, read the discussion paper and submit comments

THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said the seasonally adjusted rise (0.1 percent increase) in monthly retail trade figures (month-on-month) reported today by the ABS followed a 0.4 percent rise in October 2014.

While November’s month on month growth was disappointing, year on year retail growth rose 5 percent (seasonally adjusted, compared to November 2013) - a positive sign for the retail industry.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said retailers remain hopeful that the ARA and Roy Morgan predicted pre-Christmas sales figure of $45 billion (expected to go through retail tills from 15 November 2014 to 24 December 2014) will be achieved.

“We won’t be able to confirm the actual pre-Christmas spend until December retail figures are released next month. However, after speaking with retailers across the country, many reported a fairly slow start to Christmas sales in November due to the reluctance of consumers to start their holiday shopping early. As usual, consumers left most of their shopping until the last minute.

“Industries which experienced rises were cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.8%) and household goods retailing (0.6%) and food retailing (0.6%). Department stores remained relatively unchanged (0.0%). This was partially offset by falls in other retailing (-2.1%) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-0.7%).

“The Brisbane G20 may have also affected sales in November. The Australian Retail Index (delivered by BDO and Retail Express) stated that accessibility and availability are fundamental to sales, and both were diminished in the lead up to the G20 as barricades and closures were planted to etch a safe zone for the worlds most powerful. There was less traffic in Brisbane’s CBD, shops temporarily suspended operations and a public holiday had been declared – all of which contributed to slower sales.

“In seasonally adjusted terms the states which displayed rises were Victoria (0.4%), South Australia (0.4%), the Australian Capital Territory (1.3%), Tasmania (1.1%), the Northern Territory (1.6%) and Queensland (0.1%). This was partially offset by falls in New South Wales (-0.2%) and Western Australia (-0.1%),” Mr Zimmerman said.

MONTHLY RETAIL GROWTH (October 2014 – November 2014 seasonally adjusted)

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.8%), Household goods retailing (0.6%), Food retailing (0.6%), Department stores (0.0%),Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-0.7%) and Other retailing (-2.1%).Total sales (0.1%).

Northern Territory (1.6%), Australian Capital Territory (1.3%), Tasmania (1.1%) South Australia (0.4%), Victoria (0.4%), Queensland (0.1%), Western Australia (-0.1%) and New South Wales (-0.2%). Total sales (0.1%).

YEAR-ON-YEAR RETAIL GROWTH (November 2013 – November 2014 seasonally adjusted)

Household goods retailing (11.2%), Food retailing (6.6%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (5.9%), Department stores (2.0%). Other retailing (-1.7%) and Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-2.4%).Total sales (5.0%).

New South Wales (8.7%), Victoria (5.6%), Tasmania (4.6%), South Australia (4.5%), Australian Capital Territory (3.5%), Northern Territory (1.9%), Queensland (1.4%) and Western Australia (1.0%).Total sales (5.0%).

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Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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