Minister confirms ABF to retain trade facilitation role (NNF 2017/164)

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) invitation to the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia In. (CBFCA) to attend the DIBP Industry Summit 2017 held at Grand Hyatt on Monday 31 July 2017 was attended by CBFCA senior Board and Administration members. This summit is the fourth to be held and provides the opportunity for business and the regulator to discuss key initiatives for policy development for the future.

The theme for this year’s Industry Summit was ‘Border innovation: strengthening our nation’s economy, security and society’. The program focused upon embracing innovation to create opportunities for collaboration, co-design and co-investment in technologies and business processes that will help DIBP respond to the changing global trade, traveller and migration environment.

In this industry Forum there was a specific emphasis on people movement across borders and while there were specific workshops on trade most delegates except for those who represent service providers in international trade logistics and supply chain management focused on the immigration question.

The Hon Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and Acting Commissioner, Michael Outram, APM spoke about the new Home Affairs Portfolio that will further enhance and strengthen the border security and engagement with industry to facilitate trade.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) will retain the trade facilitation role as the Government believes supply chain integrity is a shared responsibility and industry automated data reported to ABF is critical for intelligence and risk assessment at the border.  Both speakers stated that the ABF would also continue its vital engagement with industry and development of trade facilitation measures to assist in the legitimate trade in goods and movement in people.

The CBFCA representatives participated in two workshops focused on:

Safe and secure supply chain

The workshop focus on the supply chain community, including the shared and interrelated responsibilities Australian Government agencies and trusted entities have in maintaining supply chain integrity. We again heard about the obligations placed on licensed entities and the importance of these obligations in maintaining a safe and secure supply chain. Initiatives such as creation of a “single window” for trade such as in Singapore and New Zealand was discussed that aim to assist to secure supply chain data.

Trade 2025

The workshop focused on emerging supply chain and business process trends, including e-commerce and new technologies. We discuss the future impact these trends may have on supply chain logistics, trade regulation, and trade finance. We also explored Government and industry strategic planning for the future of international trade, and how Government and industry can work together to take advantage of future opportunities and address challenges. Initiatives such as single window, expansion of Australian Trusted Trader Program, increase use of more advanced technologies and reporting systems and development and implementation of FTAs to improve of current and future FTA automated electronic certificates of origin for enhanced border clearance facilitation.

To read the ABF 2017 Industry Summit Communique click HERE.

We looks forward to continued engagement on these projects and its ongoing bilateral and multilateral collaborative work with DIBP, the ABF and other agencies who have a role at the border as CBFCA members play a vital role in assisting the trading community and regulators to facilitate trade.