USG Support for Trade Facilitation Paul J Fekete

USG Support for Trade Facilitation Paul J. Fekete Senior International Trade Advisor Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform November 14, 2012

USG Trade Capacity Building (Aid for Trade) • Since 2001, the U. S. Government has provided a cumulative $13. 3 billion in trade capacity building assistance, making it one of the leading donors on TCB in the last decade. • In the area of trade facilitation, support has amounted to $2. 6 billion

USG Support for WTO TF Negotiations • Between 2007 -2010 USAID supported TF Needs Assessments in 14 countries. • USTR Kirk recently announced contribution to WTO technical assistance fund for updating Needs Assessments.

USAID Activities • USAID works on a broad range of development issues with a presence in 79 countries and activities in more than 100 countries working both bilaterally and regionally. • USAID assistance—whether it be trade capacity building or any other type — is demand driven.

Partnership for Trade Facilitation • PTF was announced in November 2011 to support developing countries with respect to the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation • Demand Driven-Requests have been submitted by national authorities 5

Partnership Service Areas • Advance Rulings • Pre-arrival Processing/early Release of Goods • Appeals Mechanism • Internet Publication • Penalty Disciplines • Transit Guarantee Systems • Expedited Shipment 6

Partnership for Trade Facilitation Requests • Requests have come from Africa, SE Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America – – – Internet Publication— 10 requests Pre-Arrival Processing— 9 requests Appeals— 5 requests Expedited Shipment— 3 requests Transit Guarantees— 3 requests

Implementation of Requests • For most requests, additional scoping has been carried out: – By Washington-based resources – At the Mission level by projects that are already carrying out activities in country. • In a number of instances, the PTF has served to bring greater attention to TF issues – PTF funding has leveraged additional resources for TF activities.

Ongoing Trade-Focused Activities • Trade Hubs (in Nairobi, Kenya, Gaborone, Botswana, and Accra, Ghana, with an office in Dakar, Senegal. • Support for regional integration in Africa, working with the AU; SADC in Southern Africa; COMESA and the EAC in Eastern Africa; and ECOWAS in Western Africa to create an environment supportive of trade. • USAID has been providing assistance to the private sector in order to improve its ability to take advantage of trade opportunities.

Other USAID sponsored support in TF • Legal gap analysis and development of implementing regulations for customs reforms • Development and administration of technical training programs • Institutional and organizational capacity building • Development of outreach and communications strategies • Development of ICT strategies and ICT procurement.

Trade Facilitation Support • Examples of USAID’s support to RECs and member states: – customs operations and interconnectivity, including automating customs agencies, – designing and implementing software-based applications to improve the sharing of data and improve customs clearance times, – analyzing and removing procedural efficiencies in customs operations. – streamlining the paper flow of customs and standards operations – harmonizing procedures, standards, and paperwork governing the flow of goods within the RECs,

Lessons learned for successful implementation • Assist on the basis of beneficiary country’s priorities • Coordinate with other donors to avoid duplicating and to assist in sequencing the project components • Involve all relevant stakeholders to ensure ownership of project • Ensure political support and continuity in leadership to guarantee accomplishment of objectives and sustainability • Ensure there is an adequate budget for the plan • Ensure proper sequencing of program components that are interlinked (e. g. Customs valuation & post-clearance audit) • Be flexible in implementing the work plan

Thank you! Questions Paul Fekete pfekete@usaid. gov