COVER FEATURE - INTERNATIONAL
Redefining International Trade: What’s Next? By, Fred Tumas Boomerang carnets UK recently celebrated a 6-year partnership with the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. The partnership provides technology facilitating issuance of ATA Carnets at a better price and quickerin-hand than ever before. Though the challenges of this Covid-19 pause brought a near halt to everything, optimism persevered especially given Liverpool’s unique position to become one of the U.K.’s most strategic import-export cities. With the ultramodern infrastructures of 5-Star John Lennon Airport and water ports like Liverpool2, the north Atlantic trade route will be busy. Add to that, the ease of obtaining an ATA Carnet from the Liverpool Chamber’s office. Trade negotiations between the U.K. and U.S. are important to the future economies of both countries and the U.K.’s most economical and convenient Carnet Distribution Center is ready in Liverpool, servicing all of the U.K. Boomerang saw some ingenious adaptations in ATA Carnet use by companies successful at keeping business moving forward. Noteworthy was by a U.K. film production company, (an industry severely hit by travel restrictions and
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mandatory quarantines), who adapted by shipping their cameras and equipment with a carnet by cargo and hiring a crew on the other end of the destination. Boomerang’s 4-month webinar series “Leading Through Crisis” ended, initiated originally to help people plan a way out of the Covid-19 crisis. A complimentary 30-minute business consultation was offered to participants and because traders are responding to our offer to help, they continue. In the last installment of the series, a roundtable discussion was conducted with a group of international trade experts who left participants with a few takeaways relative to emerging out of what has occurred. Ken Roberts, a Trade Statistics and Data Analyst who frequently publishes in Forbes said: “Find out where the opportunities are. Prepare and take advantage of them. Read a lot. Pay attention. Look at your life. What kind of decisions are you making to change your own life
and what does that mean for exports? It’s a question of seeing things half empty or half full, and this is the time for the half full people to take charge.” Darie Achstein-Conway, Trade and Compliance Expert advised: “Flexibility is key. Go back to basics and reach out and speak to people you haven’t spoken to in years—network.” Jeremy Page, a Trade Attorney speculated: “You have to be nimble. Opportunity appears when you do not expect it. Companies must be retooled. You have to look at how you can fit in. You have to forecast different scenarios, so you are ready to jump on them when the right time comes. Those who think about the different paths for themselves will be best positioned to figure out what is going to happen next.” Curt E.H. Wilson, Managing Director of boomerang carnets UK, concluded by citing a favorite quote: “We are continually faced with opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems.”
