ONLINE WORKSHOP ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FOR MERCOSUR COUNTRIES
OBJECTIVES
- To facilitate participants' understanding of the main aspects of the negotiations and discussions on e-commerce that are taking place and that will make this a new way of trading goods and services both domestically and across borders.
- To show the opportunities and challenges that e-commerce poses to administrations, particularly customs and border authorities, in the performance of their duties and the implementation of trade facilitation measures. In particular, to identify procedures and "best practices" that guarantee aspects such as risk management, security of operations and means of payment, collection of duties and taxes and consumer protection, without hindering the agility of electronic transactions or affecting delivery times.
- To show the implications of all the above on the logistics and supply chain, and on domestic, regional, and global value chains.
- To enhance opportunities and analyze the different challenges faced by national industries to address the complexity of international transactions, logistics, payment guarantees, fraud prevention and other difficulties and actions necessary for the digital operation of their businesses. Special attention will be paid to the internationalization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). International experience shows that micro e-commerce is an opportunity for women-led enterprises to access new markets and means of financing their economic activities.
- To learn about the best practices in the region in order to develop a strategy and policies that facilitate international operations through different electronic media, in close cooperation between the public and private sectors, and in particular through trade facilitation measures.
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SESSION 1: Opening Session
1.1 Opening Session
Alejandro Gamboa-Alder Workshop Chair. Former Secretary, WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Mr. Alejandro Gamboa-Alder is independent consultant. He worked during 21 years as a senior trade specialist with the World Trade Organization (Trade and Environment and Market Access Divisions), responsible for the Council for Trade in Goods, the Committee on Import Licensing Procedures and of technical assistance activities on customs issues, trade facilitation, tariff negotiations, rules of origin and import licensing. He has taken part in the Trade Facilitation Needs Assessment activities in Latin American and African countries and has also served as a senior trade specialist on technical barriers to trade and trade and environment issues. Mr. Gamboa-Alder has also served as Secretary to the WTO disputes on "Shrimp and Turtles: Article 21.5 implementation Panel"; "Trade description of sardines" and, "Restrictions on ports of entry and indicative prices". Prior to joining the WTO Mr. Gamboa-Alder worked for the Colombian government as Secretary to the Council of Ministers, Secretary General of the City Hall of Bogota, Director of the Patents and Trade-Marks Institute (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio), and as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on intellectual property and foreign investment. He also worked as an independent consultant on international trade issues and agreements (joint-ventures, transfer of technology, distribution and agency agreements) and patents and trademarks. Mr. Gamboa-Alder is a well-known international lecturer on various trade issues and has been a professor in post-graduate studies in various Latin-American countries. He is also a Member of the International Customs Law Academy (ICLA).
SESSION 2: International initiatives and regulatory aspects on electronic commerce
2.1 The WTO Work Program and the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce. Results of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12)
Victor do Prado Director of the Council and Trade Negotiations Committee, WTO.
Victor do Prado currently works as Director of Council and TNC Division at the WTO. He previously served as a Counsellor in the WTO Rules Division where he acted as a Secretary of the WTO Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. During his work at the WTO, he held the position of the Chairman of the Subsidies Committee, served as a panellist in various cases and was a Member of the Brazilian Delegation in dispute settlement proceedings several times. Mr Do Prado holds a Degree in Law from the University of São Paulo and a Master in International Relations from the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy. He has lectured at the University of Paris, the Freie Universität Berlin and at Georgetown University Law School.Antonia Carzaniga Secretary of the Council for Trade in Services, WTO
Antonia Carzaniga is Counsellor in the Trade in Services and Investment Division at the World Trade Organization (WTO). She is an economist with a degree from Bocconi University, Italy, and Masters from the College of Europe, Belgium, and the London School of Economics, UK. She has worked in the WTO since 1998. She is the Secretary of the WTO Council for Trade in Services and deals, inter alia, with issues relating to the movement of natural persons (mode 4), various transport services and e-commerce. She has conducted many technical assistance activities focused on services trade and the disciplines of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, including for economies seeking to accede to the WTO. Ms Carzaniga has published extensively on matters relating to trade in services and has contributed to many expert fora, conferences and academic seminars.2.2 E-commerce provisions in the Regional and Free-trade Agreements (RTAs and FTAs)
Rohini Acharya Chief, Regional Trade Agreements Section Trade Policy Review Division, WTO
Rohini Acharya is a Counsellor with the World Trade Organization and since 2007, Chief of the Regional Trade Agreements Section in the Trade Policies Review Division. She has a PhD in Economics and joined the WTO’s Trade Policies Review Division in 1996, having previously worked as Senior Research Fellow at the International Economics Program of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London. Her work at the WTO has included the trade policy reviews of several WTO Members, including Australia, Egypt, India, New Zealand, and Singapore as well as the first Trade Policy Review of China. She is currently in charge of the work on regional trade agreements.2.3 WCO Cross-Border E-Commerce Framework of Standards
Vyara Filipova Technical Officer, Procedures and Facilitation Sub-directorate, World Customs Organization (WCO)
Ms. Vyara Filipova is a Technical Officer in the Procedures and Facilitation Subdirectorate of the World Customs Organization (WCO). She contributes to the work of the WCO Secretariat since April 2016 and deals with a broad range of trade facilitation topics. Her work portfolio includes transit, the role of Customs in natural disaster relief, e-commerce, the Customs Convention on Containers, and the WCO’s work towards the development of a global Non-Intrusive Inspection data format. She’s been providing technical assistance and capacity building support to WCO Members on the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), transit, relief consignments and e-commerce. Prior to taking up duty at the WCO Secretariat, Ms. Filipova worked for more than 15 years at the Headquarters of the Bulgarian Customs Administration, where she was responsible for multilateral cooperation and the management of Customs modernization projects. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Economic Relations.2.4 INTRODUCTION TO THE E-COMMERCE MODEL LAW – UNCITRAL AND UN CONVENTION ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS
2.5 MERCOSUR Law on Electronic Commerce
Rosaldo Trevisan Tax Auditor, Administrative Tax Court of Appeals (CARF), Brazil Federal Revenue, Ministry of Economy, Brazil
Mr. Rosaldo Trevisan is a Member (expert) of the Federal Administrative Court of Tax Appeals of Brazil (CARF). He is a permanent faculty member at the Catholic University of Brasilia. He specializes in Internacional Law and holds a Master’s Degree in Economic Law (Catholic University of Paraná) and a PhD in State Law (Federal University of Paraná). He is a Professor of Customs, Tax and International Law in several national and international universities. He is the author/coordinator of several books and scientific papers on Customs, Tax and International Law. He is an IDB trainer, IMF Consultant and Customs expert accredited by the WCO. He was a member of the Brazilian 2002 and 2009 (current) Custom Codes drafting committees. He was a member of the Technical Committee N°2 (CT-2) on Customs Matters of the MERCOSUR Trade Commission from 2002 to 2010, and a member of the Ad Hoc Group in charge of MERCOSUR Customs Code drafting (Dec. CMC 27/2010), from 2006 to 2010. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Customs Law Academy.SESSION 3: Border authorities and cross-border electronic operations
3.1 Increased Volume of Transactions, Operations, packages and parcels. Traceability and Risk Management. Responsibility and liability regarding the submission of manifests, invoices and customs declarations. “Digital and digitizable goods”: Main challenges and opportunities
Dr. Andrés Rohde Ponce, President, International Customs Law Academy (ICLA)
Doctor of Law. Author of the books "Derecho Aduanero Mexicano" and "Facilitación del Comercio". President of the International Academy of Customs Law ICLA, Partner of the firm Rohde & Weiss.
3.2 Aspects relating to taxes and revenue collection (tariffs and VAT).
Eduardo Jiménez Advisor, Consumption Taxes Unit, Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Lawyer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, specializing in tax law. He has served in both the private and public sectors in Chile. He has also worked in VAT matters as a lawyer in the Indirect Taxes Department, in the Sub-Directorate of the Internal Revenue Service of Chile. He is currently an advisor to the Consumption Taxes Unit of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Carlos Grau Tanner Director General, Global Express Association (GEA)
Director General, Global Express Association Carlos Grau Tanner is the Director General of the Geneva-based Global Express Association (GEA), which he joined in 2010. GEA is the global trade association of the three leading express delivery carriers (DHL, FedEx/TNT and UPS). A dual Swiss-Spanish citizen, Mr Grau holds a Law Degree from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University (Boston, USA). He speaks Spanish, English, French, Catalan, passable Italian and broken German and Swiss-German. In previous professional lives, he worked for the airline industry - at Swissair and IATA, where he was Director of Government and Industry Affairs - and for the Council of Europe, an inter-governmental organization.
3.3 How to prevent frauds and illicit trade through E-commerce. Types of fraud and illicit trade related to goods and services, including the darknet.
Mauricio Andrés Salcedo Maldonado Head, International Legal Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Colombia
He graduated as a lawyer at the University of the Andes. He specialized in Economic Law and Economic Analysis at the Externado University of Colombia. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Law from Georgetown University, Washington D.C, USA. He also has advanced studies in international trade law and WTO law from Georgetown University, the Institute of WTO Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Academy for International Business Officials of the Ministry of Commerce in China . He is a PhD candidate of International Law at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. Over the last 12 years, he has been responsible for Colombia’s legal defense at the WTO and the Andean Community (CAN). He served as Colombia’s Deputy Trade Representative to the WTO from 2016 to 2019. Since August 2019, he has been the head of International Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
3.3 CITES. The conservation, trade and prevention of fraud and illegal trafficking of wild fauna and flora.
Juan Carlos Vásquez Murillo Head, Legal Affairs Unit Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES
Juan Carlos Vásquez is a Colombian lawyer with postgraduate studies at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). He currently serves as head of the Legal Affairs Unit at the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). During his more than 20 years in the CITES Secretariat, he has served eight conferences of the Parties and countless international meetings, has advised more than one hundred countries, has been responsible for legal matters, compliance mechanisms, trade policies, livelihoods, means of communication and outreach, fundraising, participation of the private sector and associations. Before joining the CITES Secretariat, Mr. Vásquez worked as an international consultant in international environmental law, legal advisor in rural development, lawyer for indigenous communities, and trial lawyer in a law firm. He has been a university professor, international lecturer, and author of many studies, reports, and publications on wildlife and environmental law3.3 Counterfeit Goods, Medicines and Drugs
Rachel Bae Intellectual Property Attaché to the European Union. United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO/USTR)
Rachel Bae is the Intellectual Property (IP) attaché to Europe, where she advocates for effective IP policies in the EU and its Member States, the countries of the European Free Trade Area and the United Kingdom. She contributes to bilateral IP-related discussions, and assists U.S. stakeholders. She also advances U.S. IP policy objectives in relevant international organizations based in Europe. Ms. Bae has almost 20 years of applied trade and IP policy experience. Prior to her current role, she served as the Senior Counselor in the Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France. As a member of TAD’s senior management team, she oversaw and provided strategic direction to advance the Directorate’s work. Before her tenure at the OECD, Ms. Bae served as a trade negotiator with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) at the U.S. Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. In this capacity, she was the U.S. delegate to several WTO bodies, and participated in negotiations on trade rules. Before her posting to Geneva, Ms. Bae was director for Intellectual Property and Innovation at the USTR in Washington, D.C. In addition, Ms. Bae served as an attorney-advisor at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Regulations and Rulings. Ms. Bae is a three-time recipient of the USTR Certificate of Appreciation. She has served as a board member of the Customs Lawyers’ Association and received a World Customs Organization award for meritorious service in the U.S. customs administration. Ms. Bae holds a J.D. from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law and a B.A. in political science and international studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Bae is a member of the Maryland State Bar.3.4 Risk Analysis at the point of entry to the customs territory
Andrés Rhode Ponce President, International Customs Law Academy (ICLA)
Doctor of Law. Author of the books "Derecho Aduanero Mexicano" and "Facilitación del Comercio". President of the International Academy of Customs Law ICLA, Partner of the firm Rohde & Weiss.SESSION 4: Platforms and marketplaces, value and logistics chains and payment methods and modalities
4.1 Main features and characteristics: How do they operate: as matchmakers; customs agents; distributors; revenue collectors (duties, VAT and charges)? Costs, commissions, including transportation and other services.
Alfonso Rojas González de Castilla Vice-president, COMCE Director, CARGODEC, Mexico.
Since 2019, he is the President of the Regional Private Sector Group (RPSG) for Americas and Caribbean region of the World Customs Organization. He is a former member of the WCO Private Sector Consultative Group. He graduated from the School of Business Administration at University Anáhuac and holds an MBA from the University of Miami.Washington Davi de Almeida Alves Head of International Business, Correios, Brasil
Washington holds a degree in business administration specializing in Global Logistics and Operations. Professional certified in e-Commerce by the Associação Brasileira e Comércio Eletrônico, he has been at Correios for 20 years, always in charge of processes in the commercial area. He is currently Head of the company's International Business Department.François-Xavier Rezende Martins Government Relations Director, Mercado Libre
François Martins is Mercado Libre’s director of Government Relations and Public Policy based in Brazil. Mr Martins also serves as VP of Brazilian Digital Economy Chamber and as Chairperson of the Digital Economy Committee of the Brazilian Chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Mr. Martins holds a LL.M. and has over 15 years of experience in the fields of law, public policy and technology.Carlos Grau Tanner Director General, Global Express Association (GEA)
Director General, Global Express Association Carlos Grau Tanner is the Director General of the Geneva-based Global Express Association (GEA), which he joined in 2010. GEA is the global trade association of the three leading express delivery carriers (DHL, FedEx/TNT and UPS). A dual Swiss-Spanish citizen, Mr Grau holds a Law Degree from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University (Boston, USA). He speaks Spanish, English, French, Catalan, passable Italian and broken German and Swiss- German. In previous professional lives, he worked for the airline industry - at Swissair and IATA, where he was Director of Government and Industry Affairs - and for the Council of Europe, an inter-governmental organization.4.2 Value Chains. Goods “Made in the World”. Business Modalities. Logistics Chains and Platforms.
Hubert Escaith International Consultant Former Chief Statistician at WTO. Former Director, Statistics and Economic Projections Division, UN/ECLAC
Hubert Escaith did most of his professional career in international organizations, working in the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. He is the former World Trade Organization’s Chief Statistician and before that was director of Statistics and Economic Modelling at UN- ECLAC in Santiago de Chile. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics Applied to Economics from Toulouse University (F) and a Mastère in Business Administration from the ESSEC Business School (Paris-Cergy, F). After his retirement from WTO, he has been associated as visiting scholar with several universities: Aix-en-Provence (F), Bournemouth (UK) and Shanghai (PRC). Besides having produced several academic publications, he is the proud father of three daughters (his most important achievement).4.3 Cross-border Payments and modalities Handling money from the public
Nabil Kabbani, CEO of VBN (Virtual Banking Network)
Nabil Kabbani is the CEO of VBN (Virtual Banking Network), a Fintech company that offers a turnkey white-label Bank-as-a-Service, Neobank, and Core Banking platforms that enables companies to offer comprehensive banking services to their customers. He is also a board member of the IMTC and SRA (Arena Investors). Nabil is a growth driver and a multi-disciplinary global leader with a career built on leveraging strategy, technology, and people to transform and scale businesses. He spent twelve years at Western Union, helping it grow to a multi-billion dollar public company working from various locations in the U.S., Beirut, Dubai, Paris, and Brussels. He led a venture capitalist funded startup that grew through nine acquisitions to become a major player in the Fintech industry. He was the CEO of CommerceGate, a payment processing company in the e-commerce arena prior to joining ACT Holdings. He grew ACT from a $30MM student loan ARM company to an industry-leading $400MM+ diversified BPO. Lately, he was President of QLess, a disruptive SaaS technology startup, helping to scale the business, complete two fund raises, renegotiate venture debt, and double revenues. Nabil is a U.S. citizen of Lebanese and Russian heritage, studied economics and holds an MBA in finance from the American University of Beirut.
Hugo Cuevas-Mohr CEO, Mohr World Consulting MWC
Hugo Cuevas-Mohr is the president and CEO of Mohr World Consulting and CrossTech, firms based in Miami, Florida, serving the Cross Border Payments Industry. Hugo has a M.S. from Auburn U. and a Diploma from the U. Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). Hugo has worked since 1987 in the Latin American remittance market, building one of the largest distribution networks in the region before he became a consultant since 2001 for several companies and financial institutions. Since 2010, the IMTC, rebranded as CrossTech, puts together the largest events of the Cross Border Payments Industry, also publishing the CrossTech Magazine and the CrossTech Community, with more than 1,500 members worldwide. He has been an advisor to several multilateral organizations, government agencies, associations, NGOs as well as fintechs and cryptocurrency start-ups.SESSION 5: Electronic Commerce and MSMEs: an opportunity for internationalization at a regional and international level or a threat to its existence.
5.1 MSMEs and International Trade
Amb. José Luis Cancela, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the World Trade Organization
Ambassador José Luis Cancela, is serving as Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva. In 2018 he was appointed as Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMES, Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Algeria to the WTO and most recently as Chair of the Council for Trade in Goods during 2020. A career diplomat, Ambassador José Luis Cancela joined the Foreign Service of Uruguay in 1988, and has served in the Embassies of Uruguay in Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Belgium and the Mission of Uruguay to the European Communities, and the Kingdom of Spain. His last foreign assignment was as Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations in New York, from 2008 to 2013. As Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Cancela was appointed as President of the Commission of Disarmament and International Security of the UN General Assembly during its 64th Session, Vice president of the Review Conference of the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in New York, Vice president of the General Assembly of the United Nations and was designated by the UN Secretary General to integrate the High Level Advisory Group in charge of reviewing the rate of reimbursement to the members of the UN Peace Missions and other matters, representing Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2017, Ambassador Cancela was appointed as a member of the Group of Eminent Persons (GEM) which supports and complements efforts to promote the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) entry into force, as well reinvigorating international endeavours to achieve this goal. While at headquarters in the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Cancela served in the Direction General for Political Affairs, as Director of International Economic Organisms, as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as National Coordinator of Uruguay to the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and lately as Vice minister of Foreign Affairs. Fluent in four languages and with a background in Law, Ambassador Cancela is frequently invited to take part in seminars and conferences about international politics, economy and diplomacy.
5.2 Mechanisms and policies to support MSMEs
Cindy Rayo Zapata Director General, International Trade in Services and Investment, Economy Secretariat, Mexico
Cindy Rayo Zapata has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a law degree from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. She obtained her Master's Degree in International Law from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. For more than 10 years her professional practice has focused on trade, services and investment issues related to international agreements signed by Mexico. She has participated in the negotiation of disciplines in the areas of services, investment, dispute settlement, as well as in the legal review of various international trade agreements signed by Mexico. She has also advised and represented the Mexican Government in various investor-state arbitrations (in forums such as ICSID, NAFTA, UNCITRAL). Currently, she is the General Director of International Trade in Services and Investment at the Economy Secretariat and is in charge of the implementation of the USMCA on issues related to digital trade, services and investment.
Laura Gurgel MSME Component Manager, The Palladium Group, Brazil
Lara has a degree in advertising and a specialization in foreign trade. She has 14 years of experience in international business promotion and partnership development in the public and private sectors. Currently, she is the Manager of the Brazil-UK Trade Facilitation Program, a bilateral initiative financed by the UK Government that aims to promote inclusive social and economic development in Brazil by inserting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in foreign trade. Lara is also the Director of Communications and Outreach at the Women Inside Trade (WIT). The association aims to draw attention to the gender gap that still persists in Brazil and worldwide and actively contribute to women's economic empowerment. WIT's activities influence and strengthen the international trade community, giving greater visibility to the excellent work developed by women in this field. Moreover, she is Director of Strategic Planning at the Brazilian Institute of Government Relations (IrelGov), the first Brazilian think tank dedicated to discussing and reflecting on government relations. The institute aims to raise the level of professionalism, competence, and ethical standards of the lobbying activity, in a transparent and informative way.Gustavo Reis Melo Competitiveness Analyst, SEBRAE Brazil
He graduated in Administration from the University Centre of the Federal District (2003) and holds an MBA from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation- FGV (2006). Currently, he is a competitiveness analyst at Sebrae Nacional, with experience in projects for the incorporation of micro and small companies in the value chain of large companies — such as Petrobras, Gerdau, Aurora, etc.— internationalization, development of productive chains, local productive configurations, management of agreements with sectoral and public institutions, and contract management. Previously, he worked in industry, commerce and agribusiness sectors.5.3 How to export successfully: What, How and Where to Export? Protection of intangibles. Fulfillment of International requirements, adaptability to different markets and cultures, international marketing, determination of costs, final price and currency
Tatiana Ocampo Director of Innovation and Business Strategy, Araújo Ibarra International Consultants, Colombia
Tatiana has 19 years of experience providing strategic support for internationalization and investment processes of companies and regions. She is an expert in the application of innovation and prospective tools and methodologies, market intelligence, project development and strategic planning, with a background in international business. Over the last 6 years, she has focused on the creation and strengthening of both traditional and digital business models. She has actively worked with the Chamber of e-commerce of Colombia in the development of the country's e-commerce roadmap and the closure of regulatory gaps. She is currently working on the design of training tools to promote e-commerce as an export alternative for entrepreneurs and SMEs, in addition to promoting investment projects in the sector to strengthen the e-commerce value chain.5.4 Potential for the development of some traditional activities (crafts and products of the artisan industry, particularly women from rural areas)
Hubert Escaith International Consultant Former Chief Statistician, WTO. Former Director Statistics and Economic Projections Division, UN/ECLAC
Hubert Escaith did most of his professional career in international organizations, working in the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. He is the former World Trade Organization’s Chief Statistician and before that was director of Statistics and Economic Modelling at UN-ECLAC in Santiago de Chile. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics Applied to Economics from Toulouse University (F) and a Mastère in Business Administration from the ESSEC Business School (Paris-Cergy, F). After his retirement from WTO, he has been associated as visiting scholar with several universities: Aix-en-Provence (F), Bournemouth (UK) and Shanghai (PRC). Besides having produced several academic publications, he is the proud father of three daughters (his most important achievement).SESSION 6: Towards the rise of electronic commerce: facilitating trade at the national and international level
6.1 Provisions of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (FTA) to support and boost ecommerce.
Alejandro Gamboa-Alder Workshop Chair. Former Secretary, WTO Council for Trade in Goods.
Mr. Alejandro Gamboa-Alder worked during 21 years as a senior trade specialist with the World Trade Organization (Trade and Environment and Market Access Divisions), responsible for the Council for Trade in Goods, the Committee on Import Licensing Procedures and of technical assistance activities on customs issues, trade facilitation, tariff negotiations, rules of origin and import licensing. He has taken part in the Trade Facilitation Needs Assessment activities in Latin American and African countries and has also served as a senior trade specialist on technical barriers to trade and trade and environment issues. Mr. Gamboa-Alder has also served as Secretary to the WTO disputes on "Shrimp and Turtles: Article 21.5 implementation Panel"; "Trade description of sardines" and, "Restrictions on ports of entry and indicative prices". Prior to joining the WTO Mr. Gamboa-Alder worked for the Colombian government as Secretary to the Council of Ministers, Secretary General of the City Hall of Bogota, Director of the Patents and Trade Marks Institute (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio), and as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on intellectual property and foreign investment. He also worked as an independent consultant on international trade issues and agreements (joint-ventures, transfer of technology, distribution and agency agreements) and patents and trademarks. Mr. Gamboa-Alder is a well-known international lecturer on various trade issues and has been a professor in post-graduate studies in various Latin-American countries. He is also a Member of the International Customs Law Academy (ICLA).6.2 National and Regional Strategies to facilitate e-commerce.
Tiago Martins Barbosa Siscomex Single Portal Manager. General Coordinator of Strategic Projects, Secretary of Foreign Trade (SECEX) Ministry of Economy, Brazil
General Coordinator of Strategic Projects at Ministry of Economy and Brazil Single Window Project Manager. Since 2014 he has been working in the area of trade facilitation in public administration and gives lectures about simplification of foreign trade processes and trade facilitation.6.3 Necesidad de una política pública para el e-commerce
Fabián Villarroel Ríos Director, Regulatory Affairs and Customs, DHL/Central and South America.
Director of Regulatory Affairs and Customs at DHL/Central and South America Mr. Fabián Villarroel is a lawyer and holds a Master’s Degree in International Law, Trade and Investments from the University of Heidelberg. He worked for 20 years at the Chilean Customs, with various responsibilities. He is an expert accredited by the WCO and is a frequent arbitrator in the WTO dispute settlement system. He has been a Professor at several universities in Chile and is President of the Chilean Institute of International Trade (www.ichci.cl)6.4 Key points for an enterprise to benefit from e-commerce
Tatiana Ocampo Director of Innovation and Business Strategy Araujo Ibarra International Consultants, Colombia
Tatiana has 19 years of experience providing strategic support for internationalization and investment processes of companies and regions. She is an expert in the application of innovation and prospective tools and methodologies, market intelligence, project development and strategic planning, with a background in international business. Over the last 6 years, she has focused on the creation and strengthening of both traditional and digital business models. She has actively worked with the Chamber of e-commerce of Colombia in the development of the country's e-commerce roadmap and the closure of regulatory gaps. She is currently working on the design of training tools to promote e-commerce as an export alternative for entrepreneurs and SMEs, in addition to promoting investment projects in the sector to strengthen the e-commerce value chain.
6.4 Conclusions and Recommendations
Andrés Rohde Ponce, President, International Customs Law Academy (ICLA)
Doctor of Law. Author of the books "Derecho Aduanero Mexicano" and "Facilitación del Comercio". President of the International Academy of Customs Law ICLA, Partner of the firm Rohde & Weiss.
Hubert Escaith International Consultant, Former Chief Statistician, WTO. Former Director Statistics and Economic Projections Division, UN/ECLAC
Hubert Escaith did most of his professional career in international organizations, working in the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. He is the former World Trade Organization’s Chief Statistician and before that was director of Statistics and Economic Modelling at UN-ECLAC in Santiago de Chile. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics Applied to Economics from Toulouse University (F) and a Mastère in Business Administration from the ESSEC Business School (Paris-Cergy, F). After his retirement from WTO, he has been associated as visiting scholar with several universities: Aix-en-Provence (F), Bournemouth (UK) and Shanghai (PRC). Besides having produced several academic publications, he is the proud father of three daughters (his most important achievement).Alfonso Rojas González de Castilla Vice-President COMCE. Director, CARGODEC, Mexico
Since 2019, he is the President of the Regional Private Sector Group (RPSG) for Americas and Caribbean region of the World Customs Organization. He is a former member of the WCO Private Sector Consultative Group. He graduated from the School of Business Administration at University Anáhuac and holds an MBA from the University of Miami.Fabián Villarroel Ríos Director, Regulatory Affairs and Customs, DHL/Central and South America.
Director of Regulatory Affairs and Customs at DHL/Central and South America Mr. Fabián Villarroel is a lawyer and holds a Master’s Degree in International Law, Trade and Investments from the University of Heidelberg. He worked for 20 years at the Chilean Customs, with various responsibilities. He is an expert accredited by the WCO and is a frequent arbitrator in the WTO dispute settlement system. He has been a Professor at several universities in Chile and is President of the Chilean Institute of International Trade (www.ichci.cl)Moderator: Alejandro GamboaAlder Workshop Chair. Former Secretary, WTO Council for Trade in Goods.
Mr. Alejandro Gamboa-Alder worked during 21 years as a senior trade specialist with the World Trade Organization (Trade and Environment and Market Access Divisions), responsible for the Council for Trade in Goods, the Committee on Import Licensing Procedures and of technical assistance activities on customs issues, trade facilitation, tariff negotiations, rules of origin and import licensing. He has taken part in the Trade Facilitation Needs Assessment activities in Latin American and African countries and has also served as a senior trade specialist on technical barriers to trade and trade and environment issues. Mr. Gamboa-Alder has also served as Secretary to the WTO disputes on "Shrimp and Turtles: Article 21.5 implementation Panel"; "Trade description of sardines" and, "Restrictions on ports of entry and indicative prices". Prior to joining the WTO Mr. Gamboa-Alder worked for the Colombian government as Secretary to the Council of Ministers, Secretary General of the City Hall of Bogota, Director of the Patents and Trade Marks Institute (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio), and as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on intellectual property and foreign investment. He also worked as an independent consultant on international trade issues and agreements (joint-ventures, transfer of technology, distribution and agency agreements) and patents and trademarks. Mr. Gamboa-Alder is a well-known international lecturer on various trade issues and has been a professor in post-graduate studies in various Latin-American countries. He is also a Member of the International Customs Law Academy (ICLA).
