In a meeting held by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UAE’s Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation, members discussed plans for the current year and approved the commission’s programme of action for 2017.

During the meeting held at the headquarters of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry members of the commission re-elected Dubai Trade’s CEO Mahmood Al Bastaki as Chairman of the commission. International Traders’ Chairman Dr. Ram Buxani and the National Association of Freight and Logistics’ President Nadia Abdul Aziz were elected as Vice Chairs.

Members were also briefed about the progress and achievements of the commission over the past two years besides its development plans for 2017 and efforts to boost global trade.

In his opening remarks, Hassan Al-Hashemi, Secretary-General of ICC-UAE, spoke about the ICC’s key role in promoting global trade and investment, and added that trade remains the main engine of growth for the global economy.

Al Hashemi noted that the UAE chapter of the ICC recently facilitated the UAE’s ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, making it the first WTO member in the Arab world to do so. The implementation of the new trade agreement is expected to boost exports by up to US$1 trillion a year.

The ICC-UAE has also kept UAE importers and exporters updated about the new rules and regulations on international trade through its workshops and seminars, he added.

He revealed that the ICC-UAE is planning to host the Global ICC Commission on Custom and Trade Facilitation’s upcoming meeting in collaboration with Dubai Chamber. The meeting, set to be held in May, will give its members an opportunity to network and share insights and best practices. The ICC-UAE would also take part in other important projects, including the ICC’s revision of its Incoterms in 2020.

The commission will plan to organise new events, programmes and specialised training sessions, to keep the ICC-UAE members informed about the latest developments related to the ICC and global trade, Al Hashemi said.

Established in 2004, the ICC-UAE Chapter represents the commercial, industrial and business enterprises in the country at a global level, and promotes the scope and reach of the UAE business community around the world.