ICC announces new Chair and Vice-Chair of Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation

  • 1 April 2014
ICC Trade Finance

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Norman Schenk as the new Chair of the ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation and the appointment of Oliver Peltzer as the Vice-Chair focusing on transport and logistics issues.

Norman Schenk (left) and Oliver Pelzer (right)
Norman Schenk (left) and Oliver Pelzer (right)

Mr Schenk is the Vice President Global Customs Policy & Public Affairs at UPS and brings over thirty-five years of experience in customs and trade facilitation work to the post. In his current position, Mr Schenk is responsible for shaping UPS’ global customs policy and border strategies to facilitate the smooth flow of shipments across international borders. He has been working directly with government leaders on reducing trade barriers, simplifying processes and supply chain security issues and, together with the US Council for International Business (USCIB), has actively contributed to national discussions on customs reauthorization and de minimis provisions.

Mr Schenk will take over the reins from Anthony Barone who in his role as a member, Vice-Chair and Chair, greatly impacted the activities of the ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation for close to eight years. Under Mr Barone’s Chairmanship, the commission produced several key products including the recently published survey on 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 re-organizing the commission’s work around the theme of trade facilitation. ICC extends its deep appreciation to Mr 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 Mr 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.”

“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,” said Mr Schenk. “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.”

Oliver Peltzer is a Partner at Dabelstein & Passehl, a German law firm focusing on all legal aspects of international supply chains, logistics solutions and world transport systems. He is a lecturer of transport and logistics law at the Technical University of Hamburg and has served as a representative of ICC Germany and of the Federation of German Industries in a variety of national and international transport and logistics debates, including the revision of the ICC rules Incoterms® 2010, the recent reform of German shipping law, and the revision of the widely used Freight Forwarders Terms and Conditions.

“For centuries, transport and logistics has been the backbone of international trade. A restriction in the freedom of transport and logistics hampers each and any manufacturing and producing industry in the world. The Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation has an important role to play in promoting worldwide supply chains for goods and services,” said Mr Peltzer.

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.

For more information on the commission’s work visit the ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation