From 12 to 13 March 2024, Barcelona hosted the Leaders in Logistics Summit, an annual event bringing together the key players in the logistics industry. This year's summit featured intense discussions on the challenges and opportunities presented by the new European ICS2 customs regulations.
The round table on the complexity of cross-border e-commerce was one of the highlights of the summit. Moderated by Sumesh Rahavendra, Group Chief Transformation & Digital Officer at Pos Malaysia Berhad Group, this session brought together Jean-Paul Forceville, Director of European and International Relations at La Poste Groupe ; Yuliia Pavlenko, Director of International Operations Department at Ukrposhta ; Julio Andres Diaz, Europe Head of Lead Logistics Delivery at A. P. Moller – Maersk ; and Ian Crauwels, Head of eCommerce at AEB.
The debate highlighted the challenges faced by postal operators and businesses in this regulation context – including adapting to ICS2. Speakers underlined the implications for cross-border trade, highlighting bottlenecks and overloading on alternative routes, as well as the inequalities between operators when it comes to the costs generated by this adaptation.
However, the discussion also focused on the opportunities that these new regulations represent. Participants highlighted the crucial role of technological innovation, particularly artificial intelligence, in accelerating customs processes (particularly to deal with incomplete customs declarations) and reducing customs clearance times. They stressed that these improvements benefit the entire logistics chain, helping to increase the efficiency of cross-border exchanges.
In addition, this round table explored the security and transparency issues associated with this regulation, highlighting the need to reconcile these imperatives with the facilitation of international trade.
Commenting on the conference, Jean-Paul Forceville declared: “The dynamic exchanges between the participants highlighted the importance of innovation, collaboration and adaptation in shaping the future of international logistics in an ever-changing environment.”