GS1 and Cross - Border Trade Modernisation

GS1 and Cross – Border Trade Modernisation

Patrik Jonasson
2 September 2021

Introduction

Changing trade environment:                 New type of trade flow (larger volume, FMCG growth,
high volume e-commerce) with difficulty in goods identification

Government needs to adjust to be more effective in their admission
decisions: Leverage available product identification and information – would give ability to access
and consume data to verify identity and attain associated product data for better granularity and
more astute admission decisions

GS1 is working with Governments to ensure that they regulate in
ways that industry can manage: GS1 is working globally to help bridging the gap
between government policy and industry operations

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Why the use of industry data and
product identification is relevant?
•   30-50% of goods traded across international borders are
    identified by GS1 product identifiers (GTIN/EAN/UPC)

•   Private sector are already using these identifiers and
    associated data as a key part of today’s supply chains

•   Government needs to be able to consume this data to be a more
    efficient supply chain partner

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It has been recognized by WCO that

“The use of other coding systems may improve the
visibility of global supply chains, enhance risk
management capabilities and at the same time increase
the trade facilitation offered to legitimate traders.”

(IMSC 65th meeting PM0332E1a 2013)

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APEC Leader’s Declaration

•   APEC Leaders and Ministers have recognised that a wider
    use of Global Data Standards (GDS) can improve
    supply chain performance

23．”We recognize that the use of standardized codes will
enable information about traded goods to be easily understood
and shared by all parties…”

•   Implementation and testing among APEC economies is
    ongoing including Canada, China, New Zealand, Russia,
    US

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Aligning with e-commerce trade

Unique product identification should be underpinning trade modernization in APEC
supporting growth in e-commerce while lowering barriers to cross-border trade

Google gives preference in search to products
leveraging GS1’s unique product identification

Factors essential for accurate and trusted product
data:                                                  To create a new listing on Amazon, a merchant
• unique identifiers,                                  must provide a GS1 unique product identifier
• the ability to verify the identity of each product   (GTIN), such as a UPC or EAN.

• a product identification system with global reach

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Key point 1
•   It’s not about ‘technology’, or being ‘digital’ (and certainly not about
    blockchain) … it’s about designing in interoperability regardless of
    technology choices
                                            Pursue common standards, data
                                         elements, formats and interoperability
                                             frameworks containing legal,
                                           technical and business issues …

                                          to harmonize and standardize the
                                         data/documents across borders for
                                         electronic processing and exchange.

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Key point (2)

• Government-to-Government
  standards & data flows should be
  enhanced by Private Sector
  standards & data flows

  Ambition:
     • Improve data quality & efficiency for identification,
       enforcement and risk assessment
     • Identify high risk trade – facilitate legitimate, low risk
       trade
  Tools:
     • Unambiguous identification & classification of products
     • Unambiguous identification of parties, locations

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Patrik Jonasson
Patrik.Jonasson@gs1.org

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