Dear readers,
welcome to the Spring Newsletter of the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation. We hope that you enjoy reading the spring edition of the newsletter as much as we from SPECTARIS always do.
I initially came across the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation in the summer of 2019 while completing a short internship at the Trade Compliance Department of our member company Dräger, who is also a member of the German Alliance. This was followed by an initial meeting with the colleagues of the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation and we quickly made the decision that being part of the Alliance as an industry association would be a good idea for SPECTARIS and its members.
SPECTARIS is a German industry association for the high-tech medium-sized business sector and representative body in the areas of medical technology, consumer optics, analytical, bio and laboratory technology as well as photonics. Access to global markets and friction free trade are crucial for our members, since the SPECTARIS members are very export oriented with an average of two thirds of their products being exported.
What convinced me personally that being part of the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation is a great benefit for SPECTARIS and our member companies. The German Alliance brings together governmental institutions, business associations, and companies from different sectors who join forces and work towards the same goal to improve and facilitate trade and most importantly to support the implementation of the trade facilitation agreement in developing-countries especially in Africa.
The German Alliance meetings also serve as a great knowledge pool and an exchange platform with experts in trade and customs and have helped me personally to solve one or the other work problem. It has also been very nourishing to meet such great and inspiring people all working together for the same goal.
Another great feature of the German Alliance is the annual idea contest where all members can suggest new project ideas in regards to trade facilitation. I don’t think I have ever before seen a forum where you can so easily suggest ideas even for small improvements in international trade.
The SPECTARIS’ members have suggested project ideas in the past three years and we are very happy that some of them actually are considered as future German Alliance projects and two more SPECTARIS members also decided to become part of the German Alliance.
We really hope that we will soon have the opportunity to meet in person again.
Until we see each other we hope you enjoy reading the latest updates from the German Alliance.
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