Project

A. General Information

1. Title

Interoperability of the Foreign Trade Single Windows MX-UY

2. Status of the project
Pilot
3. Implementation period of the project/service:
From
Phytosanitary certificates: Jun-2015 Certificate of origin: Feb-2016
To
Phytosanitary certificates: Jun-2016 Certificate of origin: Dec-2017
5. Geographical coverage
Bilateral
Participating countries: Mexico, Uruguay
6. Participating agencies/entities of the project/service:
a. Development stage
Lead agencies/entities
MEXICO Customs Administration - VUCE URUGUAY
Other participating agencies/entities
Ministerio de Economía y finanzas, Dirección Nacional de Aduanas, Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural -SADE(phytosanitary entity), Secretaría de Economía, Servicio de Administración Tributaria -SAT
b. Operational stage
Lead agencies/entities (op)
MEXICO Customs Administration - VUCE URUGUAY
Other participating agencies/entities (op)
--
7. Main stakeholders/beneficiaries of the project
Traders (big enterprises)
Traders (SMEs)
Customs brokers
Customs
Other Government Agencies (OGAs)
8. Business process category of the project
Commercial Transactions
Regulatory/official control

B. Lessons Learned

9. Summary description of the project/service
a. Objective(s)

Streamline and facilitate foreign trade operations, through the implementation and promotion of its “Single Windows of Foreign Trade" ( VUCEs by its initials in Spanish), ensuring interoperability that allows the electronic exchange of information of foreign trade transactions, for example: international phytosanitary certificates, certificates of origin, customs declarations, etc., in line with accepted international standards.

b. Business need for the project (background)

In 2011, the construction of the Pacific Alliance began with the objective of move towards the free circulation of goods, services, capital and people between the member countries of the Pacific Alliance (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as well as being a platform for economic and commercial integration, and for projection to the world with special emphasis on the Asia Pacific region.

c. Business process covered*

LPCOs

NIMF 12 : The phytosanitary certificates are issued to guarantee that plants, plant products or other regulated articles, satisfy the phytosanitary import requirements of the importing countries and they are in accordance with what was stated in the issued certificate that covers the goods.

Certificates of origin" under the Pacific Alliance agreement: It accredit in front of the import customs authority that the merchandise that is detailed in it has been manufactured or produced in the country that is indicated as origin; achieving in this way that the products can access the preferential regimes and the application of the tariffs that correspond to them.

d. Overall architecture and functionalities*
Communication diagram

 

e. Relevant document/figure
--
10. Documents and data exchanged via the project

Phytosanitary certificate

Certificate of origin (Pacific Alliance)

Digital Certificate of Origin (COD ALADI)

11. Data models/databases, proprietary solutions, hybrid approaches
--
12. Main challenges faced during the project

To agree among the business, regulatory and technical teams, of all countries, the data to be exchanged; ensuring the same understanding and complying with international standards.

Schedule follow-up meetings, without interfering with the usual activities of each of the work teams.

Agree on dates of implementation, testing and release, of each of the documents to be exchanged.

13. Lessons learned from the project

Rotation in the members of the work teams, delayed the dates of compliance in the work plan established

The use of an electronic signature to obtain official documents that are transmitted electronically is not common in all countries, so exporters still have little reliability in these; which has forced countries to receive documents electronically and on paper, forcing them to preserve mechanisms that could be eliminated.Priorities of the agencies change and become an stoppers or decrease the potential of the implementation.

14. Main benefit(s) of the project
Enhanced regulatory compliance*
Transaction Time savings
Simplified process
Increased trade flow
14A. Elaborations/detailed description on benefits gained

Exporter:

Reduction of the time to obtain the authorization that will allow him to export / import the goods, because the authorization is received electronically.

Knows at all time, the status of the document sent to the authorized entity, in the country of destination: sent, received correctly, incorrectly received, used, request for replacement, etc., helping with this, to the subsequent activities that the exporter can carry out.

Increases his competitiveness

Agency:

Automatic sending and receiving of electronic documents, facilitating verification operations in the countries involved.

Receives email notifications about the electronics documents that for some reason didn’t complete its transmission, which allows to execute protocols that guarantee reception in the destination country.

15. Technical/financial/capacity building/other assistance

The Inter-American Development Bank (BID in Spanish acronyms) has been the promoter and sponsor of the interconnection project of the foreign trade single windows (VUCE) of the member countries of the Pacific Alliance, to allow the regional exchange of data and reliable and effective electronic information in real time; taking into account the recommendations, good practices and international standards, as well as those related to regulations, harmonization of data and technology.

16. Future plan for expansion of the project

Uruguay has been added to the exchange project between single windows, and currently, together with Mexico, they are in the final stage of testing the COD exchange, in accordance with the Mexico-Uruguay Free Trade Agreement (ACE 60), with the objective of start the production stage at the end of 2021.

17. Other information or relevant references on the project
--
18. Relevant document regarding the project
--

C. Relevant Standards

20. Electronic message standard
20A. Electronic message standard supporting the project
XML:
- UN/CEFACT BRS/RSM
- Other XML format: Own for AP, based on the ALADI certificate of origin version
20B. Type of standard for electronic message applied for the project
International standard
Technical recommendations from international body(ies)
Proprietary solution
 
Proprietary solution was applied because:
- No relevant international standard
- XML COD ver 4.0.0
21. Technical communication standard
21A. Technical communication standard supporting the project
--
21B. Type of technical communication standard applied for the project
--
22. Security-related standards*
22A. Security-related standard supporting the project
--
22B. Type of security-related standard applied for the project
--
23. Other Technical Information
23A. Interface developed for data exchange with an internal system
--
23B. Other technical implementation information
--