Paris and New York. April 2, 2014 – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Paris-based world business organization, has announced the appointment of Norman Schenk of UPS as the new chair of the ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation, according to the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which serves as ICC’s American national committee.
Schenk is joined by Oliver Peltzer, a partner with the German law firm Dabelstein & Passehl, who has been named the commission’s vice chair.
“Norm Schenk is a terrific choice for this important role,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “ICC was instrumental in pushing for last December’s landmark WTO trade facilitation deal, and its influence on the global stage is an important point of leverage for American business as we seek to expand trade, modernize customs practices worldwide and cut red tape in cross-border commerce.”
As UPS’s vice president of global customs policy and public affairs, Schenk brings over 35 years of experience in customs and trade facilitation work to the post. He is responsible for shaping UPS’s global customs policy and border strategies to facilitate the smooth flow of shipments across international borders. He works directly with government leaders on reducing trade barriers, simplifying processes and supply chain security issues and, together with USCIB, has actively contributed to national discussions on customs reauthorization and de minimis provisions.
Schenk will take the reins as chair from Anthony Barone, who retired in February as director of global logistics policy with Pfizer. In his role as a member, vice chair and chair of the ICC commission over the past eight years, Barone greatly impacted its activities. Under his leadership, the commission produced several key products, including the recently published survey What border barriers impede business ability?, the revised ICC Customs Guidelines and new ICC Guidelines for Cross-Border Traders. He was also instrumental in maintaining ICC’s excellent relations with the World Customs Organization and in reorganizing the commission’s work around the theme of trade facilitation. ICC extended its deep appreciation to Barone for his leadership of the commission.
“Norm Schenk is a very experienced internationalist and I am certain he will bring deep insight to the commission and its stakeholders,” said Barone. “The commission has a challenging and important role to play amid the various multilateral agreements being discussed today. Governments need the practical insights the commission can provide.”
Schenk said: “The ICC Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission plays an important role in helping to develop the solutions and tools needed to implement the recent WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, ultimately driving economic growth. Customs officials and those engaged in the supply chain will benefit from an open dialogue designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of border processes around the world.”
The ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation has over 120 members from 25 countries. Commission members comprise customs, transport and logistics specialists from ICC member companies and business representative organizations. The central objective of the commission is to overcome trade barriers, to ensure that the liberalization of global trade and investment has a positive impact at the level of the individual international trade transaction.
About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.
Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 (office), +1 917.420.0039 (mobile), jhuneke@uscib.org
