At the invitation of Mr. Victor Gamas, President of the Mexican Association of Customs Brokers (CAAAREM), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended CAAAREM’s 75th National Congress on 10 and 11 July 2014 in Cancun, Mexico. The main objective of the Congress was to enhance the professionalism of the various participants in the supply chain, with special focus on Customs matters.
Over 700 delegates attended the Congress, including representatives from the private sector, Customs brokers and high-level Mexican Government officials. In his opening speech, Mr. Aristoteles Nuñez, Head of the Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT), highlighted the role of Customs brokers in the international trading system and the importance of Customs-Business Partnership. He also announced that the Mexican Government had decided to ratify the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and that the necessary legal procedures were expected to be completed in the coming months. The President of CAAAREM expressed his full support for this initiative.
During his keynote address, Deputy Secretary General Mujica explained the WCO’s Strategic Plan and the key role of Customs in contributing to economic competitiveness, with particular emphasis on the WCO roadmap to support consistent and effective implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation.
Mr. Alejandro Chacón, Director General of Mexican Customs and the newly elected Vice-Chair of the Americas and Caribbean Region, gave a presentation on security and best practices in supply chain management, including the implementation of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme in Mexico.