Over 540 customs and trade industry leaders from the public and private sector convened in Cartagena, Colombia for the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce (BASC) World Congress on September 19 and 20. The Congress theme was “Risk Management and Trust: The Road to Security and Competitiveness.” Participants celebrated BASC’s 22nd anniversary while discussing risk management, trade facilitation, and supply chain security. BASC, founded in 1996, has worked in partnership with the U.S. Customs Service and CBP to involve private business in the effort to securely facilitate trade.
Participants spoke on topics such as public-private cooperation, current challenges in international commerce, and the balance between trade promotion and security. CT Strategies’ Allen Gina addressed the Congress with a discussion on BASC’s goals, value, and development entitled “22 years of BASC – A Winning Business Strategy.”
Other speakers included Mr. Robert Bonner, former U.S. Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Ana Hinojosa, Director of Compliance and Facilitation of the World Customs Organization (WCO); and Luis Fernando Fuentes, Director of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, among others.
