Chicago, Illinois, November 1, 2021 — The African Global Chamber of Commerce and E-Merchants Trade Council, Inc. (EMTC) announced that they will engage in an Affiliate Agreement to promote trade and ecommerce between Africa and the US.

Geneva -

The co-convenors of the negotiations on e-commerce have urged participating members to intensity their efforts and to make further progress ahead of the WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) starting in late November. In the current global context and with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, stakeholders are expecting this initiative to continue to yield results, they said at a plenary meeting held on 13 October.

See the full article at: WTO | 2021 News items - E-commerce negotiations: Co-convenors urge members to intensify efforts ahead of MC12

We urge companies involved in e-commerce to join EMTC (www.emtc.org) to weigh-in on the WTO's e-commerce negotiations.

E-Merchants Trade Council, Inc. (EMTC) is the new not-for-profit trade association for micro, small and medium-sized Entrepreneurs, “Homepreneurs” and “Sidepreneurs” to support the growth of e-commerce.  EMTC is convening participants from all aspects of the e-commerce supply chain to create a grass-roots community of those interested in accelerating the growth of e-commerce.

EMTC Press Release - New E-commerce Advocacy Group Help Entrepreneurs (10-11-21).pdf

CBP has issued a NEW Collection of Information on Global Business Identifier (GBI). The notice is at: https://lnkd.in/ddnBy-YJ

As you know, CBP has been exploring a unique identification code to replace the Manufacturer Identification Code (MID) and to serve as a system to identify parties in the supply chain.

CBP is seeking comments and will be conducting an Evaluative Proof of Concept (EPoC) assessing 3 identifiers:

- Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) – owned and managed by the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF)

- Global Location Number (GLN)– owned and managed by GS1

- Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) – owned and managed by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

Note that these identifiers are administered by the private sector and non-profit corporations who may provide the identifier for free but also maintain a myriad of related services which may impose significant costs on users, particularly SMEs.

CBP is seeking comments on the information collection and seek pilot participants. Comments are due within 60 days of the notice in the Federal Register (presumably tomorrow) - which would be December 4, 2021.

CNBC - 

PUBLISHED TUE, OCT 5 2021 8:00 AM EDT

UPDATED TUE, OCT 5 2021 11:20 AM EDT

In late 2014, Scott Ruffin was deep in the trenches of Amazon's logistics operation, when he was tapped to solve a major problem. The company was relying on air cargo partners to haul its packages across the country, but needed more space to meet its rapid growth.

See the article at: https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/10/05/amazon-air-founders-start-up-pandion-raises-30-million.html

Washington Post - 

Rich Brome wanted to buy a tank top on the Internet — something simple and loose to work out in near his Brooklyn neighborhood. It seemed like an easy enough purchase and the kind of thing you don’t need to try on in a store or waste too much time researching.

See article at:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/04/online-shopping/

WTO -

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the B20 Italy, representing the global business community, highlighted the pressing need for reform of the WTO so that it can meet the challenges of the 21st century. At a session held on 29 September at the Public Forum, also attended by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the ICC and the B20 outlined the priority areas for WTO reform and the need to achieve results focussed on inclusivity and sustainability at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in late November.

See full article at:  https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news21_e/bus_30sep21_e.htm

Below are recent announcements concerning rate increases for e-commerce shipments:

• USPS August 29 2021 Increase Notice 123 | Postal Explorer (usps.com)
• Fedex November 1 2021 Increase Shipping Rate Updates | FedEx Shipping Rates
• UPS Peak Surcharges 2021_UPS_Peak_Surcharges.pdf
• DHL surcharges range from $.20 to $5.00 per piece. DHL eCommerce unit discloses peak-season surcharges - FreightWaves

Reuters -

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) will give Europe more clout and set standards and rules for the 21st century, the EU's trade and digital chiefs said, underscoring global concerns about China's growing power.

See full article at: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/eu-says-us-trade-tech-council-boost-its-clout-set-rules-21st-century-2021-09-26/

CNET - 

If you're like me, sending a letter or package across the country through the US Postal Service feels like a game of chance. Will it get there in a week -- or two? During the first quarter of this year, around 20% of first-class mail across the US was delivered late. And now snail mail is about to get slower for some of the 160 million residences and businesses that rely on the Postal Service.

See the full article at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/usps-slowdown-starts-oct-1-what-to-know-about-new-delays-and-price-hikes-for-mail/ar-AAOO5lh?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531