Over the past few months, Customs authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean have had to work hard and think outside the box in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tons of personal protective equipment, including masks, gowns, medical devices, medicines, and disinfectant products, as well as food and other necessities, have passed through these agencies. Those shipments … [Read more...] about The resilience and transformation of Customs authorities during COVID-19
Customs
Trade policy, key to get out of quarantine and face COVID-19
Today, more than ever, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) need to act together in their trade policy decisions to stock up the goods and supplies they need to address the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and exit the generalized quarantine. Epidemiological models in Europe and the United States, as well as recent experiences of countries that have moved to a … [Read more...] about Trade policy, key to get out of quarantine and face COVID-19
How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus
The coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on how challenging it is for countries to protect the health of the population. To contain the pandemic, governments have taken unprecedented measures such as closing borders or shutting off large areas of their territories. These measures can cause major disruptions to global supply chains and transportation systems. According to … [Read more...] about How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus
The state of e-commerce in Latin America
Buddha, the prince who became a beggar, said that the only constant thing in life is change. Today, over 2,500 years after Buddha’s time on earth, the speed at which change is happening has never been faster. Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean is being transformed not just by the digital revolution but also by the growing risks associated with a synchronized cooling of … [Read more...] about The state of e-commerce in Latin America
How the Pacific Alliance linked up its single windows for foreign trade
One of the goals of the Pacific Alliance (PA), the economic bloc made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, is achieving an area of deep integration where goods and services are traded tariff-free without facing other barriers to trade. To this end, in addition to eliminating tariffs, now covering more than 98% products on average, the PA has implemented innovative trade … [Read more...] about How the Pacific Alliance linked up its single windows for foreign trade