LITHUANIA At the Crossroads of Europe - FIATA
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No. 131 | March 2020
Magazine of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations
LITHUANIA
At the Crossroads
of Europe
COUNTRY REPORT UNFORESEEN CLOSE TO THE WCO
Discover the potential Be careful of consign- Common interests
of the Baltic states ing a Bill of Lading with customs bodies
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CONTENTS
Headquarters’ Session, March 2020
4 A detailed programme
and a lot of interest
Editorial
5 From the President’s Desk
An Australian Case
6 A lesson learnt from the
consignment of a Bill of Lading
Country Report
8 Lithuania –
where West
and East meet
Customs Affairs Institute (CAI)
10 Our close cooperation with
the WCO and the forthcoming
5th WCO Global AEO Conference
Exclusive Provider
Personally
12 Meet Galo Molina Aguilar,
Vice President of FIATA,
of the FIATA Group
Bond Programme
and get a taste of the
Latin American point of view
13 New faces in FIATA’s Secretariat
Avalon’s programs are designed specifically for
Here & There / Agenda international logistics providers and our
14 Happy Birthday! products and services are tailored for FIATA
15 Forthcoming Events members. In addition to the FIATA Group Bond
15 Masthead Programme, we also offer the following:
► Forwarder’s Liability Insurance
► Errors & Omissions Insurance
► Surety Bonds
Cover ► Cargo Insurance
Klaipeda (Lithuania) at
dusk, with the old town ► Business Insurance
and the river Dane. ► Claim Handling & Subrogation Services
Photo: iStock / proslgn
Contact us at fiatabond@avalonrisk.com or
+1 847 700 8176.
FIATA Secretariat
Schaffhauserstrasse 104 www.avalonrisk.com
CH-8152 Glattbrugg/Switzerland
Phone +41 (0)43 211 65 00, Fax +41 (0)43 211 65 65
info@fiata.com, www.fiata.com
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 3
FIATA HEADQUARTERS’ SESSION 2020 PROGRAMME
Zurich, 26th–28th March 2020
Swissotel Zurich (Oerlikon), Schulstrasse 44, 8050 Zürich
Photo: iStock/benedek
Thursday, 26th March 2020
Time Meeting / Session Room Contact person
07:15 – 17:00 Registration Foyer Barbara Wieser
08:00 – 10:15 Region Africa and Middle East Zürich Bassil Eid
08:30 – 10:15 Region Americas Saas Fee / Zermatt Verena Schaer
08:30 – 10:15 Region Asia Pacific Arosa / Davos Daniel Bloch
08:30 – 10:15 Region Europe Basel Joana Nunes
10:15 – 10:45 Coffee break Foyer
10:45 – 12:00 Advisory Body Legal Matters Zürich / Basel Stephen Morris
12:00 – 13:00 Lunchtime Free disposal
13:00 – 14:15 Advisory Body Safety and Security Zürich / Basel Bassil Eid
14:15 – 15:45 Multimodal Transport Institute Zürich / Basel Joana Nunes
15:45 – 16:15 Coffee break Foyer
16:15 – 17:45 Know your FIATA Zürich / Basel Robert Voltmann / Stéphane Graber
Friday, 27th March 2020
Time Meeting / Session Room Contact person
08:15 – 17:00 Registration Foyer Barbara Wieser
08:30 – 10:00 Airfreight Institute Zürich / Basel Daniel Bloch
10:00 – 10:30 Coffee break Foyer
10:30 – 11:45 Custom Affairs Institute Zürich / Basel Daniel Bloch
11:45 – 12:45 Lunch hosted by FIATA Lakeside
12:45 – 14:15 Transitioning FIATA Logistics Institute FLI Zürich / Basel Verena Schaer
(Advisory Body Vocational Training / FIATA Logistics Academy)
14:15 – 14:45 Coffee break Foyer
14:45 – 16:00 Advisory Body International Affairs Zürich / Basel Bassil Eid
16:00 – 17:15 Advisory Body Information Technology Zürich / Basel Bassil Eid
Saturday, 28th March 2019
Time Meeting Room Contact person
09:00 – 12:00 Meeting of the Extended Board Bern Stéphane Graber
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are not a FIATA member you may not be admitted to the Headquarters' Session. If you wish to become a member, please log on to
http://fiata.com/membership/becoming-a-member.html
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
Dear Members, friends and colleagues
M y first words would have been to
wish you a happy new year and a
prosperous 2020 – however as the year
set about building FIATA and its capa-
bilities to enable a better structure of the
Secretariat to support member’s needs,
has unfolded to date those words are realign functions and rekindle the FIATA
now muted by the Coronavirus. Many interface with international and regional
of our friends and industry colleagues governmental and non-governmental
in China are severely impacted by this institutions.
calamity and to those in particular, and In this regards I am happy to advise
the country in general, our thoughts are you that new international trade law, pro-
with them for a speedy end to the health fessional development and training and
crisis and for their safety, and that of information technology staff have been re-
their families. This ever-expanding cruited for the Secretariat. Work continues
health crisis has now impacted upon an as to specialist recruitment on communica-
ever-widening list of countries. What tions, events and projects and cross border
the crisis has brought sharply into fo- operations, and we anticipate that these
cus is the economic dependence of all positions will be filled in the next month.
economies on a facilitated international This has driven the need for premises in
supply chain in which FIATA members Geneva and these have now been secured.
play a pivotal role. The prosperity of all The Director General and his staff will take
in 2020 will be impacted by the restrict- up residence on 1st April 2020. Duality of options that it will take forward to the
ed movement of people for an undeter- operations in Geneva and Zurich will con- Extended Board for further discussion
mined period of time. tinue; however, it is perceived that opera- and development. Strategic planning and
tions of the Secretariat will be centralised in deliverables are now a Standing Agenda
The international freight forwarding in- Geneva by the last quarter of 2020. FIATA Item for Presidency meetings.
dustry is now clearly in the impact zone has now embarked on the journey of re-
as aids to manufacture, key components newal and on the basis of the support being In order to ensure that Members’ Asso-
and consumables slow down in produc- received from external parties, the goodwill ciations are kept informed as to what
tion, and how speedy delivery can be being exhibited and the resources now be- is happening in FIATA, a session titled
achieved on production resumption, ing recruited I am very confident with what “Know your FIATA” will be delivered
with airfreight being acutely affected, the future will bring for FIATA and its by the Secretary General Bob Voltmann
with the cancellation of scheduled air members. I would also like to acknowledge and the Director General at the FIATA
services, and sea freight struggling with the work that the acting Director General Headquarters’ Session. This gives effect to
port restrictions and storage capacities. Stephen Morris did in 2019 in stabilising my commitment made in the December
Your Association has been working to en- FIATA, working on the key element of the 2019 FIATA Review. “In my period of
sure the voice of the international freight future, the recruitment of the new Director office I will work to ensure that FIATA
forwarder is heard, as others clamour for General, and maintaining the operations is inclusive for all its Members and that
cost alleviation, changes to supply chains of the Secretariat. Our thanks to him for input is respected at all levels.” I have pre-
and business needs. FIATA continues to being able to assist FIATA in this transition viously commented that the strength of
monitor the supply chain disruption and to a vibrant future. FIATA rests with its members, and while
provide information to members. the architecture of FIATA and its Secre-
In moving issues forward, the Presidency tariat are now either in place, or will be
What struck me when I sat down to pen met in mid-January and over two days of over the next three months, this is all for
this article was that five months of my intensive work and a very full agenda ad- one purpose... to serve you, the members.
Presidency have already passed. In this dressed many key issues. The Presidency However, for that service to be relevant
time, however, key issue have been able is conscious of the financial health of you the members must contribute with
to be delivered that impact on FIATA FIATA, membership deliverables, tran- your skill sets, for we are better as a whole
and its future. Of particular impor- sitional work on professional develop- than as individuals. I look forward to
tance was that our new Director General ment and training, external relations meeting up with you in the near future.
Stéphane Graber, who will guide FIATA with identified parties and the impacts of
for the future, commenced work on developing supply chain data protection. Yours,
1st January 2020. In the period since he On these aspects the Presidency spent Basil L.S. Pietersen
started work Stéphane has energetically considerable time in developing strategic FIATA President
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 5
AN AUSTRALIAN CASE
A BILL OF LADING REMAINS A DOCUMENT OF TITLE FOR THE GOODS
Staying in control of the
release of cargo by carriers
A recent case in Australia
showed that a freight for- R ecent case law from the NSW
Court of Appeal in Australia acts as
a reminder to freight forwarders to con-
per entered into a loan agreement with
Australia Capital Financial Management
Pty Ltd (ACFM), whereby the ship-
warder can easily be held sider carefully the question of whether per would provide ACFM with original
responsible for the full re- to issue a house bill of lading’ for a con- bills of lading as collateral security in ex-
covery of the drawdowns of signment. When doing so, there are change for drawdowns on the loan. It was
clear steps to take to protect the rights intended that ACFM would return the
a cargo – also in case of
of all stakeholders and avoid unforeseen original bills of lading after the shipper
misleading and deceptive exposure. had repaid the drawdowns.
conduct by a shipper. In the course of applying for a draw-
THE FACTS down, the shipper provided ACFM with
A freight forwarder contracted with a eleven house bills of lading, issued by the
shipper for the business of exporting ani- forwarder. When the shipper failed to
mal skins and hides. Separately, the ship- make the repayments, ACFM attempted
6 FIATA REVIEW No. 131 | March 2020
AN AUSTRALIAN CASE
• the House Bills did not in fact give the
lawful holder a right to delivery of the
goods.
Consequently, the freight forward-
er was held to be liable for the loss suf-
fered by ACFM.
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNT
Whilst the issuing of House Bills
of Lading as a business practice should
not be discarded, freight forwarders
should never issue a House Bill of Lad-
ing when they do not have control over
the release of the cargo at the destina-
tion; especially when the Ocean Bill of
Lading issued by the ocean carrier is
negotiable.
A defining feature of a Bill of Lad-
ing is that it constitutes a document of
title for the related goods. Thus it must
be capable of obtaining delivery of the
Photo: iStock / PeopleImags cargo it relates to when it is presented
to the issuer or its authorised agent.
Furthermore, freight forwarders
must not sign House Bills of Lading
“as agents of the ocean carrier” unless
Forwarders should ensure that they retain control over the release of the cargo. the ocean carrier has expressly granted
authority to do so. Such representa-
tion implies the lawful holder of the
House Bill of Lading has accrued rem-
to take possession of the cargo, only to The forwarder issued a set of house bills edies against the ocean carrier. If the
discover that it had already been released of lading that were a close replica of the ocean carrier has not granted author-
to a third party by the ocean carrier. Ocean Bills, also being “original” and ity to the freight forwarder, the ocean
ACFM was successful in its action “negotiable” and named the consignee as carrier will have no liability, and the
against the freight forwarder for the “to Order” (House Bills). The House Bills freight forwarder will be liable for any
full recovery of the drawdowns, on the were signed by the forwarder “as agent for losses associated with reliance on the
grounds of misleading and deceptive the ocean carrier.” representation.
conduct. Furthermore, the forwarder released For shipments where a freight for-
This recent NSW Court of Appeal both the House Bills and the Ocean Bills warder issues a House Bill of Lading, it
decision upheld the previous judgment in to the shipper, but the latter provided is important to ensure the Ocean Bill
an action[1] brought by ACFM against ACFM only with the House Bills. The of Lading is non-negotiable and re-
the predecessor company of the freight Ocean Bills were apparently used by a mains in possession of the freight for-
forwarder, which was found to have acted third party to take delivery of the cargo warder (or their receiving agent), thus
with misleading and deceptive conduct from the ocean carrier. ensuring the freight forwarder has con-
when issuing house bills of lading, whilst The court held the House Bills them- trol over the release of the cargo by the
simultaneously releasing ocean bills of selves to be misleading and deceptive for ocean carrier.
lading, both of which purported to be the following reasons:
original negotiable documents. • the forwarder did not have the autho CRO Travel Pty Ltd v Australia
rity or consent from the ocean carrier to Capital Financial Management Pty Ltd
WHAT WENT WRONG? sign off as its agent; [2018] NSWCA 153
In this case, the ocean carrier issued a set • the forwarder allowed the issuance of two
of ocean bills of lading that were “origi- sets of bills of ladings (House Bills and
nal” and “negotiable” and named the Ocean Bills), both purporting to be origi- [1] Australia Capital Financial Management Pty Ltd v Freight
consignee as “to Order” (Ocean Bills). nal documents with title to the goods; Solutions (Vic) Pty Limited [2017] NSWDC 279
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 7
COUNTRY REPORT
LITHUANIA’S GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION IS KEY FOR OUR INDUSTRY
A hidden champion
Most find it surprising that Lithuania – the 24th European coun- to Prague, from Berlin to Minsk, from
try by area and only the 35th by population – has recently man- Pskov to Budapest, from Klaipėda to
Alexandroupoli, from Kaunas to Ostrov
aged to become an undisputable transport and logistics industry and – locally – from Klaipėda to Vilnius.
leader in the EU. The transport and logistics sector there holds About 75 million t of freight are trans-
the largest share of GDP in the EU, with 12.3%. Its importance to ported annually on these roads. Devel-
oped road networks and road quality
the country’s economic development is significant.
make the country a good place for inter-
national carriers to start delivering cargo
T ransport and logistics is the third-
largest industry in Lithuania, em-
ploying around 106,000 workers, or
ropean Commission as a priority transport
link between Europe and Asia. This is why
transport infrastructure development is of
to almost every city in Europe in a mere
three days.
Another advantage of Lithuania’s trans-
about 11.4% of the total workforce national strategic importance and is con- port infrastructure is Klaipėda’s state sea
(2016). More than 7,500 companies op- tinuously supported by multi-million in- port, which is the northernmost ice-free
erate in the sector, generating a turno- vestments by the state and EU funds. Those port on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
ver of approximately EUR 7.5 billion, worth mentioning include Lithuania’s com- and a bridge joining the CIS, Asia, EU and
with a main focus on export. 60% of mitment to invest EUR 145 million in the other markets. The multipurpose, universal,
all turnover is generated by road trans- Via Baltica international highway system, deepwater port is capable of handling more
port, while the country operates almost and EUR 100 million in four public logistics than 65 million t of cargo annually and has
50,000 trucks internationally. Expedi- centres. ample storage facilities in place. Moreover,
tors in Lithuania are represented by the very short distances connect the gateway
Lithuanian National Association of For- BY ROAD AND SEA with the most important industrial regions
warders and Logistics (Lineka). This public policy perfectly matches of the Eastern hinterlands, and main ship-
To support smooth transit options private-sector initiatives focused on mak- ping lines link to European ports. The hub
Lithuania has established 37 border cross- ing Lithuania a key European distribu- can welcome calls from 400 m vessels up to
ing points at the European Union’s exter- tion centre and on developing advanced 59 m wide and with a maximum draught
nal borders of. 19 border-crossing points service infrastructure. For this purpose, of 13.8 m. 14 large stevedoring companies
are with the republic of Belarus (four of seven free economic zones, with a healthy currently operate there.
them on international roads, eleven on raft of financial incentives, and four pub-
local roads, three on the railways and one lic logistic centres in major cities have JUST TEN DAYS TO CHINA
on a river), whilst ten border-crossing been established. Lithuania is well-connected through a
points link the country to the Russian At the end of 2015, there was network of highways and railways, in-
Federation (five on international roads, 469,100 m2 of new warehousing space
two on the railways and three on interna- in Lithuania. Total warehousing space in
tional rivers). The country also has four the country stands at more than 1 mil-
international sea port and four interna- lion m2. Though rather small, Lithuania
tional airport border-crossing points. has a 21,000 km road system, which is
known to be the best in the region. That
AT A GLOBAL CROSSROADS is quite an achievement, keeping in mind
Graphics: FIATA; iStock/PeterHermesFurian
It is fair to say that Lithuania’s geographical that Lithuania was still shown as the
position is amongst the key reasons that have land with no E roads on the E network
led to our industry’s success – Lithuania is road map of Europe in 1988, following
centrally located between three sizeable mar- a European Agreement on Main Interna-
kets, namely Western Europe, the Nordic tional Traffic Arteries (AGR) in Geneva.
countries and the Eastern markets of Rus- Today, six main European motor-
sia and the Commonwealth of Independent ways cross the country, namely the E67
States (CIS). Being in the very midst of trade (Via Baltica), E28, E77, E85, E262 and
transit, the country is recognised by the Eu- E272, connecting Eurasia from Helsinki Multifaceted logistics facilities.
8 FIATA REVIEW No. 131 | March 2020
COUNTRY REPORT
LITHUANIA – FACTS & FIGURES
Official name Republic of Lithuania
Capital Vilnius
Form of government Independent democratic parliamentary republic
Area 65,300 sqkm (with a 262 km coastline)
Population 2.9 million
Official language Lithuanian
Currency Euro
Major export markets Germany, Russia, France, Denmark, Belarus, Netherlands
Major trading partners Russia, Latvia, Poland, Germany
cluding a North–South highway, its rail- Network project, designed to link Finland, Meanwhile, electric trucks are still
ways connecting Scandinavia with Cen- the Baltic states and Poland, and simulta- a vision of the future. Even though the
tral Europe, as well as an East–West route neously improve connections between infrastructure of electric charging sta-
linking eastern markets with the rest of Central and Northern Europe; the outer tions is well advanced in Lithuania and
Europe. According to the EU Commis- port undertaking in Klaipėda, which will continues to be developed at high speed,
sion, these are among the ten most im- bring new potential for the transport in- at present there are no electric vans
portant routes in Europe. dustry, as Baltmax ships will be able to and trucks that have been registered in
The Lithuanian railways transport enter the port once it is completed. The Lithuania.
approximately 48 million t of cargo newly-planned outer port will cover ap-
every year, using modern infrastructure proximately 130 ha, with its dredged area REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
and a fully-modernised locomotive offering a depth of 17 m. AND TECHNOLOGIES READY
fleet. The country is a convenient hub, Rail Baltica construction work will Innovative and complex logistics solu-
linking Europe with Russia, China and be started as early as next year and the tions, paired with high-quality standards,
other Asian countries. There are two project will be fully completed by 2030. as well as business experience in Western
major types of railway track in its terri- These projects will ensure additional ca- Europe and especially in countries in the
tory –European standard narrow-gauge pacities to carry goods and will increase CIS, are all important for Lithuania’s re-
lines and the broad gauge of the Rus- the attractiveness of the Lithuanian trans- gional leadership in transport and logis-
sian standard, allowing the country to port sector in the Asia–Europe corridor tics infrastructure.
offer transport intermediation services. for goods transport. For instance, the country has ad-
Lithuania also offers services of the Vi- vanced regulation in place for the use of
king shuttle train, which connects the ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY FUEL autonomous cars, which makes Lithu-
Black Sea and the Baltic Sea in just SUPPLY STATIONS ania an attractive location for the testing
55 hours. New ecology and efficiency-focused truck of future transport technologies in pub-
The container train ‘Sun Train’ con- transport technologies require the deve- lic traffic. The forward-thinking Lithu-
nects Europe and China. It is unique in lopment of related infrastructure for en- anian government encourages the testing
that cargo that typically takes 40 days to vironment-friendly fuel supply stations. of these innovative vehicles on the roads
reach Europe by sea from China arrives in Lithuania has moved a significant step of Lithuania by approaching leading
just ten days. This was recently achieved forward by developing infrastructure of manufacturers.
as a result of various cross-border agree- compressed (CNG) and liquefied (LNG) The technological environment is
ments that enable the train to pass natural gas – the first CNG station there extremely favourable for this purpose as
through Russia and Belarus, then onward was built as long ago as 2007. Today there well. Lithuania enjoys one of the fastest
to Scandinavian and other European are nine such stations, with four of them internet upload speeds in the world, hav-
countries via Klaipėda’s state sea port. offering public filling access, namely in ing the greatest fibre-optic broadband
Klaipėda, Siauliai, Panevezys and Vil- capacity in Europe.
BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE nius. The others are under construction. Furthermore, experimental 5G cross-
Lithuania is continuously working to A LNG terminal opened at the end of border corridors through the country’s
improve its transport infrastructure. 2014 guarantees sustainability of the fuel territory are under development, which
Amongst the priority projects there are the supply system and competitive prices for will definitely accelerate the process of
Rail Baltica – Trans-European Transport transport companies. self-driving vehicle testing.
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 9
CUSTOMS AFFAIRS INSTITUTE
CUSTOMS AFFAIRS INSTITUTE (CAI)
FIATA’s share in the activities
and initiatives of the WCO
Customs clearance remains a vital part of the freight forwarder’s COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
environment. The CAI is the spearhead of FIATA’s engagement OF THE REVISED
KYOTO CONVENTION
with the WCO. Besides the revision of the Kyoto Convention and The WCO Revised Kyoto Convention
modelling the framework of the standards on the cross-border (RKC) is the main international Cus-
e-commerce, the AEO programme is in the focus of interest. toms instrument for trade facilitation.
The RKC aims to facilitate the cross-
border trade of goods by harmonising
A s an advocate of trade facilitation,
FIATA has been actively involved
in the work of the World Customs Or-
newed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to strengthen their mutual coop-
eration. FIATA, through its Customs Af-
and simplifying Customs procedures
and processes. The RKC establishes the
foundations for uniformity, consistency,
ganization (WCO) for over thirty years. fairs Institute (CAI), has also continued predictability and transparency in trans-
Collaboration with intergovernmental its membership of the WCO Private Sec- actions with Customs administrations
bodies such as the WCO is vital for tor Consultative Group (PSCG), a high- across the globe.
FIATA in representing the interest of level advisory group to the WCO that In June 2018 the WCO’s members
its members as to the interoperability provides positive input to the WCO on agreed to establish a dedicated working
of Customs standards with the inter- Customs and international trade matters body to carry out a comprehensive review
national trade and transport commu- from a business perspective. Participa- of the RKC; FIATA participated in that
nity and in seeking synergies between tion at the PSCG has enabled FIATA to review work.
trade and government. actively participate in the facilitation of FIATA highlighted the need for Cus-
Official observer status at the WCO international trade. toms and freight forwarders to recognise
allows FIATA to contribute to discussions This article provides an overview of each other’s roles in joint cooperation as
on matters and to participate in a wide several key WCO initiatives, relevant for well as other crucial aspects, such as digi-
variety of WCO working bodies. In service providers in international trade talisation and single windows.
2010, FIATA and the WCO signed a re- logistics and supply chain management. FIATA will continue to participate in
the review of the RKC and contribute to
its trade facilitatory objectives.
FRAMEWORK OF STANDARDS
ON CROSS-BORDER
E-COMMERCE
E-commerce now forms a significant part
of international trade and has created sig-
nificant challenges to Customs admini-
stration as to fiscal leakage, community
protection, safety and security, import
prohibitions and restrictions, as well
as the facilitation for all forms of cargo
(imports and exports), not only that of
e-commerce.
The WCO is working extensively
CAI delegates, pictured at the CAI meeting in Cape Town, already looking forward to on finalising its E-Commerce Package,
participating in the 5th WCO Global AEO Conference. which contains the Framework of Stand-
10 FIATA REVIEW No. 131 | March 2020CUSTOMS AFFAIRS INSTITUTE
Photo. FIATA
FIATA has been involved in the work of the World Customs Organization for more than 30 years now.
ards on Cross-Border E-Commerce, ture of international trade processes and 5TH WCO GLOBAL
which includes 15 global standards. border-clearance processes for the future, AEO CONFERENCE
The package aims to contribute to the which will help in forming the policy de- FIATA will participate in the 5th WCO
standardisation and harmonisation of cisions of the WCO. Global AEO Conference in Dubai in
border regulatory processes for the more The PSCG is linked to the ongoing March 2020. Under the theme ‘AEO 2.0:
efficient management of cross-border 2021 review cycle of the SAFE Frame- Advancing towards New Horizons for
e-commerce. It includes elements such work and, in particular, the very impor- Sustainable and Secure Trade’, the con-
as technical specifications, data require- tant work being conducted within the ference will provide a forum for various
ments, implementation strategy and an WCO to strengthen and enhance AEO Customs administrations and stakehold-
action plan. programmes, in order to ensure largely ers to meet and discuss their overall com-
FIATA has participated in the exten- harmonised implementation and less di- mitment to reshaping the future of the
sive discussions of cross-border e-com- vergent practices. AEO programme.
merce and has contributed to defining Mr. Steve Parker, CAI Chairman,
the roles and responsibilities of freight will take the opportunity to put forward
forwarders in the e-commerce supply FIATA and the views of the freight for-
chain. FIATA will continue to provide warding industry. He will report on the
the views of the industry in future process outcomes of the event at the forthcom-
change as well as to the development of a ing FIATA Headquarters’ Session. FIATA
maintenance mechanism. has consistently participated in a vari-
ety of WCO meetings of several identi-
WCO PRIVATE SECTOR fied WCO bodies. It reports regularly to
CONSULTATIVE GROUP FIATA Members at CAI Meetings and
The PSCG was created as an advisory via the FIATA Document Delivery Sys-
body in the first instance, to explore The World Customs Organization (WCO),
tem (FDDS) on various developments
the evolution of the Authorised Eco- established in 1952, is an independent inter-
and on issues relating to security, safety
nomic Operator programme (AEO), governmental body representing the global
risks, cross-border trade and e-commerce.
possible roles for the WCO and the chal- Customs community. Its mission is to im-
Members benefit from this informa-
lenges ahead for the implementation of prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the
tion for advocacy toward their National
the SAFE Framework of Standards, to Customs administrations of its 183 mem-
Regulators.
which AEO is instrumental. It also dealt bers. The WCO develops international stand-
FIATA Members and CAI Delegates
with a variety of international trade and ards and promotes cooperation in the field of
are encouraged to share their experiences
Customs matters, and FIATA has taken the safety and security of the cross-border
on Customs-related issues such as AEO,
part in all its deliberations since 2008, flow of goods, trade facilitation, revenue col-
the SAFE Framework of Standards,
through CAI. The PSCG objective is to lection and protecting society.
e-commerce and the implementation of
create a framework to understand the fu- the Revised Kyoto Convention.
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 11PERSONALLY
VICE PRESIDENT GALO MOLINA AGUILAR
“Supporting FIATA with a
Latin American point of view”
I was born in Quito, Ecuador, on 6th October 1966, and studied economics at Universidad Laica
Vicente Rocafuerte de Guayaquil, in Ecuador. I graduated with a master’s degree in Senior Manage-
ment in IDE. I am married and father of four children. Being active as an employee for many years,
I became an entrepreneur and now own a group of companies dedicated to global logistics, inclu-
ding freight forwarding, trucking, warehouse storage, customs clearance services and trade. I have
also been a member and part of the administration of important associations in logistics, such as
ASEACI, IATA, FIATA and ALACAT.
If you had not joined the trans- What are some of the changes
portation business, which profes- that you’d like to see?
sion would you most like to have I’d like to have a committee where all
chosen (and why)? freight forwarders and shipping compa-
As an economist, I was always interested in nies have a space to talk about important
international commerce, especially the de- issues, since shipping companies are be-
velopment of countries based on free trade. coming our most aggressive competitors.
If I could have chosen another profession,
I would have wanted it to be in banking, Looking at the future, what ad-
since you have a perspective there on the vice would you give a young per-
progress of different businesses. son joining the industry today?
To have integrity, courage, ethics and per-
So what fascinates you about the severance to achieve your goals. Specially,
freight forwarding industry? to understand that the combination of
Each day is different, the essential capa- these is beneficial.
city to adapt to constant change enables
Photo: FIATA
you to learn about countries, products, Generally speaking, what, in your
cultures and how the logistics business opinion, has been mankind’s best
connects the world. On board – Galo Nicolas Molina Aguilar. invention (and why)?
Aircraft, technology, such as computers,
And what was your motivation to gress in India captured all of my atten- the internet or cell phones, because when
accept your post with FIATA? tion, widening my knowledge of FIATA I started working for airlines, traders, and
After becoming the President of ASEACI, as well as the idea of supporting this aircraft industries, such as Mitsui & Co.,
and later of ALACAT, the FIATA Con- noble institution with a Latin American all we used was telex and faxes, and that
point of view. made everything slower. Right now, busi-
ness is immediate. What used to take
“Freight forwarding How do you view the state of the
industry today?
weeks, today is done in a single day.
is the capacity to Everything changes and this industry is
no exception. The best way to be success-
Which famous person would you
like to have met (and why)?
adapt to constant ful is to adapt to these changes, and to I would like to have met my grandfather, a
make good decisions – many of which are recognised Ecuadorian war hero. Unfortu-
change.” made by emotion or instinct. nately, he died fighting in a war my coun-
12 FIATA REVIEW No. 131 | March 2020PERSONALLY
try fought with Peru in 1941. Also, my FIATA SECRETARIAT’S NEW RECRUITS
father was an air force pilot who died
New faces on board
in a crash that left only twelve survi-
vors. This legacy is what has influenced
my character right until today.
Do you have any unfulfilled The new Secretariat has recruited international trade law, pro-
wishes (be they professional fessional development and training and information technology
or personal)?
One of my great unfulfilled wishes staff. Also Ms Simantirakis and Ms Villa form part of the remod-
is to create a foundation to help elled team that is currently preparing the Headquarters’ Session,
schools and high schools that honour scheduled for late March this year in Zurich.
my grandfather through his name –
Major Galo Molina.
What plans do you have for the
future or for your retirement?
Welcome Ms Simantirakis
I’ve never thought of retiring. From
Japanese people in Mitsui I learned
that “in Japan, companies take care
E mmanuela Simantirakis first joined
FIATA in mid-January this year.
She grew up in Switzerland but has a
of you; in Europe, governments take Greek background. Emmanuela has
care of you; but in America, you have had the chance to gather experience in
to take care of yourself.” the human resources sector, as well as
in the fitness industry. She also spent
three years in Australia, where she stud-
Photo: FIATA
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF ied fitness and sports management.
GALO MOLINA AGUILAR’S Emmanuela is fluent in English,
PROFESSIONAL CAREER German and Greek and has a basic Meet Ms Simantirakis at HQ in Zurich.
understanding of French. She enjoys
travelling and learning about other cul- national environment that FIATA offers
tures, and is also passionate about fit- and is looking forward to meeting you
Vice President ness as well as music. She thoroughly at the Headquarters’ Session in Zurich,
FIATA – International Federation of enjoys being able to work in the inter- Switzerland, in March 2020.
Freight Forwarders Associations
October 2019 – to this day
Welcome Ms Villa
Vice President / Past President 2015–2019
ALACAT V anessa Villa, who grew up in Switz-
erland and lives in Zurich, started
working for FIATA in November 2019.
May 2015 – to this day
Despite her young age she has already
gathered a good mix of experiences
from various jobs – in the social and jus-
Director / Past President 2004–2007 tice sectors as well as in the construction
ASEACI industry. In her new position she will be
able to use her fine command of English,
Photo: FIATA
2018 – to this day
which she acquired in a language ex-
change in Cape Town, South Africa.
Vanessa is fluent in English and Ger- Meet Ms Villa at the HQ in Zurich.
President man and understands French. Her pas-
Planet Cargo Group sions are books and travelling, so when She’s now looking forward to meeting
1998 – to this day she heard that she missed 2019’s World FIATA’s members at the Headquarters’
Congress in Cape Town she was a bit sad. Session in Zurich in March 2020.
No. 131 | March 2020 FIATA REVIEW 13RUBRIK
Happy Birthday!
FIATA congratulates six well-known delegates on their birthdays.
We wish them many more years of good health and happiness.
Mr. Sarosh J. Nagarvala (In-
dia) celebrated his 80th birth-
day on 13th January 2020.
Mr. Han Van Os (Nether- He has been a FIATA Delegate
lands) celebrated his 75th since 1987, was a Vice Presi-
birthday on 3rd January dent from 1989 –1990 and
2020. He has been a FIATA again in 1994, and Treasurer
Delegate since 1986, was a from 1994 –2005. He was
Vice President from 1999– Senior Vice President from
2005, and has been an Hono- 2009–2011, and has been an
rary Member of FIATA Honorary Board Member of
since 2007. FIATA since 2007.
Mr. Heiner Rogge (Ger-
many) is set to celebrate his
70th birthday on 25th March
2020. He has been a FIATA
Mr. Tullio Albarelli (Italy) Delegate since 2000 and was
celebrated his 90th birth- Chairman KG UIC/FIATA
day on 19th January 2020. and of the Working Group
He has been a FIATA Dele- Rail from 2004–2007. He was
gate since 1981, was the Sec- Vice President from 2007–
retary General from 1989– 2009, and was Secretary Gene-
1993, and has been an Hono- ral from 2009–2015, and has
rary Board Member of been a Honorary Board Mem-
FIATA since 1993. ber of FIATA since 2015.
Mr. Richard D. Gluck (USA)
is set to celebrate his 70th Mr. Ahmed Moustafa Ha-
birthday on 13th March 2020. med Khaleel (Egypt) is set
He has been a FIATA Delegate to celebrate his 55th birth-
since 1999, was Chairman of day on 25th March 2020.
the Advisory Body Legal Mat- He has been a FIATA Dele-
ters from 2009–2019 and be- gate since 2012, and became
came a Vice President in 2019. a Vice President in 2017.
14 FIATA REVIEW No. 131 | March 2020HERE & THERE / AGENDA
NE XT ED ITIO N
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