Business and economic experts sounded an urgent
call for emerging economies in Asia
to adopt electronic sanitary and phytosanitary
certificates (SPS e-certs) to unlock the
many benefits of cross-border paperless trade in
food and agricultural products.
Ronald Antonio Butiong, chief of regional
cooperation and integration for sustainable
development at the Asian Development Bank (ADB),
said in a recent webinar that
digitalizing trade facilitation procedures is
necessary for more inclusive trade and
development.
This is more so in agriculture, on which many
developing economies in the region
depend.
Butiong explained: “Cross-border production
networks in Asia and the Pacific are
particularly strong in primary goods, including
agriculture. In 2019, for instance, Asia’s
global value chain participation rate was about
87% of its gross exports in the primary
sector, higher than all other sectors, and about
70% of this comes from trade within
Asia.”
Switching to SPS e-certs will benefit our economies,
enhance trade, and promote rural
employment and the participation of small
businesses, he added.
He urged continued support for trade
facilitation through enhancing digitalization,
harmonizing policies, and building capacity in
customs systems, largely by acquiring the
needed technology and streamlining policies and
procedures while promoting
interoperability of ICT systems.
He expressed hope that SPS e-certs will become a
reality, noting that “this is a topic
that requires urgent action.”
Yann Duval, officer in charge of trade,
investment and innovation at the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (UN ESCAP), said SPS e-
certs are among the documents being prioritized
by countries implementing cross-
border paperless trade.
This, he said, means that SPS electronic
certificates will be a key focus of discussions
when the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of
Cross-Border Paperless Trade in
Asia and the Pacific is implemented starting
early next year.
The Agreement, a UN ESCAP treaty adopted in May
2016 to accelerate the
implementation of digital trade facilitation
measures, entered into force on February 20,
2021.
It aims to promote cross-border paperless trade
by enabling the exchange and mutual
recognition of trade-related data and documents
in electronic form and by facilitating
interoperability among national and subregional
single windows or other paperless trade
systems.
Melvin Spreij, head of the Secretariat of the
Standards and Trade Development Facility
(STDF), at the same event noted that governments
and industries are actively seeking
solutions to move goods across borders more
quickly and efficiently in the wake of the
entry into force of the World Trade
Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and as
a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spreij called for the increased use of
electronic certification to facilitate safe trade in
food and agriculture products.
“Paperless sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)
systems can improve traceability
throughout supply chains, cut trade times and
costs, lower food waste, reduce
fraudulent certificates and build trust among
trading partners,” he said.
Oswald Kuyler, managing director of digital
standards initiative at the International
Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said paperless SPS
systems offer enormous efficiency,
effectiveness and risk-reduction benefits.
When economies transition to digital trade, it
will ensure people’s health and safety by
minimizing of physical contact, promote
consumption of safe products, and solve the
trade finance gap for entrepreneurs trying to
support their families, he said.
Finally, Hilde Kruse, senior officer at Codex
Alimentarius Commission Secretariat for the
FAO/WHO Food Standards Program, disclosed that
the Codex Committee on Food
Import and Export Inspection and Certification
Systems (CCFICS) has developed a draft
guidance document on the paperless use of
electronic certificates, including an
electronic version of the Generic Model Official
Certificate.
“It was highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic
had illustrated the importance of
paperless use of electronic certificates and the
urgency to complete the revision of the
existing guidelines,” said Kruse.
“Furthermore, this work is according to the
CODEX Strategic Plan 2020-2025, which
states that CODEX should address current,
emerging and critical issues in a timely
manner.”
Following the virtual presentation of the draft
guidance three months ago, the final
version will be presented to the Codex
Alimentarius Commission for adoption when it
meets from November 8 to November 18 this year,
she said.
The Commission is the global body that develops
principles and guidelines for food
inspection and certification systems.
The Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code,” is a
collection of international standards,
guidelines and codes of practice to protect the
health of consumers and ensure fair
practices in the food trade. Codex standards are
used worldwide to harmonize national
food safety regulations and are recognized as
the international reference point for food
safety.
When food producers and traders comply with
Codex standards, consumers can trust
the safety and quality of the products they buy,
and importers can have confidence that
the food they ordered will meet the
specifications.
September 27, 2021
