“A unique opportunity to directly drive economic growth”
Stellantis designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles and related parts and services in more than 140 countries. Moving goods across borders is part of its everyday operations.
“Stellantis decided to get involved in the Alliance because it provided a unique opportunity to leverage the company’s in-house customs and supply chain management expertise to drive economic growth in developing countries in a way that is also meaningful for our local operations in those countries.
“Often when we are consulted by governments and trade associations on issues, we share information about the challenges we face, but have little role in designing and implementing the reforms intended to address those challenges. What made the Alliance so attractive to us was the co-creation process at its foundation – business and government sitting down and working together to develop and implement practical reforms on the ground.”
Stellantis, former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, joined the Alliance in 2016 and has been involved in a number of in-country projects.
“In Colombia, where the Alliance is supporting Colombian Customs’ efforts to establish a Center for Trade Facilitation and Good Practices for the automotive industry, our customs experts have worked alongside our local distributor to help benchmark Colombian processes against international best practices and identify opportunities to address major chokepoints at the border. We have taken part in public-private dialogues with the government and local businesses throughout the development of the project. We have also been able to add value by sharing our very positive experience working with the Automobile and Aerospace Center for Excellence and Expertise in Detroit, which is run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”
As well as championing the Colombia centre project, Stellantis has supported project development in other countries including Brazil, connecting the Alliance to local contacts, such as the major auto association in Brazil, and helping to identify the most significant non-tariff barriers to trade.
“Successfully implementing the Alliance’s trade facilitation projects will lower local companies’ customs and logistics costs. For Stellantis’ in-country distributors, this will free up capital, allowing them to grow their businesses, create more jobs and positively impact the country’s economy. These projects are a win-win for everyone.
“We believe that business has a key role to play in tackling global issues, and are proud to be part of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, which has that same philosophy at its core. I would urge other companies to get involved in this unique initiative.”