eCommerce and Logistics in Geneva, the Match

The last day of UNCTAD’s eCommerce week marks the end of a week-long debate on the challenges, opportunities and solutions to foment the development of eCommerce. Some 800 participants have done well to showcase the importance of private sector and institutions working together to stimulate development through eCommerce.

FIATA was there in Geneva, as it placed great emphasis on eCommerce. FIATA believes there is room for its members to grow new business alongside the growth of the trading community in the development of eCommerce. In its pragmatic approach FIATA is not blind in front of the challenges, but sees the changes as opportunities for its members to grow new business and encourages its members to boldly embrace change with a careful approach.

FIATA’s Director General, Mr Marco Sorgetti, participating in a panel today summarised the future working relationship in unmistakable terms: “There is a change in the identity of our principals: customers are morphing into a larger group of users with greater expectations in terms of services. Logistics will need to meet the new demands of eTraders, whilst the eCommerce trading community will need to rely on innovative logistics to ensure product sale fulfilment. The need and ability for both to work together will be a critical component for growth.”

FIATA has been active in the work of eCommerce logistics. In addition to joining UNCTAD’s eTrade for All Initiative and working on the WCO eCommerce Working Group, as well as other international initiatives, the international association has today published its position on eCommerce’s impact on International Trade Logistics, highlighting how logistics needs to fit into the eCommerce equation by embracing the solutions that are on the horizon.

FIATA’s position highlights some of the key barriers and opportunities for eTrade to grow, examining areas such as greater facilitation (WTO’s TFA art. 7.8), universal implementation of the “Know Your Customer” principle, visibility services, block-chain technology, single window, cybersecurity and much more.

In FIATA’s position, the association encourages member states to realise the potential for local eCommerce merchants to access new markets through improvements in logistics and facilitation, a development paradigm that will become possible though a collaborative environment of public and private initiatives at international level.

About FIATA
FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, was founded in Vienna, Austria on May 31st 1926. It is a non-governmental organisation that today represents an industry covering approximately 40,000 forwarding and logistics firms, employing around 10 million people in some 160 countries. FIATA has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (inter alia ECE, ESCAP, ESCWA, etc.), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) as well as many other UN related bodies, e.g. the World Bank. It is recognised as representing the freight forwarding industry by many other governmental organisations, governmental authorities, private international organisations in the field of transport and logistics, such as the European Commission (through CLECAT), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Union of Railways (UIC), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.

For further information, please go to: www.fiata.com