On November 13, 2024, EACC Florida held the second meeting of its Task Force Transportation, Logistics and Customs. The event, hosted by EACC Florida President’s Circle Member Cozen O’Connor brought together experts and industry leaders for a fascinating exchange on Customs & Tariffs, What to expect after the US Elections and what the Impact could be on manufacturers, exporters, freight forwarders, logistics companies as well as service providers.
The lively discussion was held under the Chatham House Rule and facilitated by Mark LUDWIG, National Trade Services Leader at RSM US and a recognized expert in supply chain and international trade matters, such as customs valuation, trade agreements, classification, origin and preferential programs. Some of the topics covered included prospects for status quo or radical shifts in US trade policy, which product categories will see tariff increases and opportunities to reduce landed costs through proactive tariff planning.
Special guests from Messe Muenchen in Germany
Attended by EACC Florida Members, a few invited Friends as well as special guests from Germany, this second meeting reached its stated objective: to continue developing a space with a transatlantic focus where companies and professionals from this industry can exchange about specific issues at expert level and share best practices.
The Task Force will now get back to work and start planning the next event which will be held in February 2025.
Stay tuned for details.
Why a dedicated Task Force?
With the second-largest foreign trade zone network in the U.S., Florida is home to 11,500+ logistics and distribution establishments. The broader wholesale trade, transportation, and logistics industry accounts for over 67,000+ establishments and employs more than half a million individuals across the state. Evolving geopolitics, recurring supply chain disruptions, the “greening” of the industry and increasing regulatory requirements are impacting global trade and it is expected that trade will become less global and more regionalized with a renewed focus on the Transatlantic Corridor – North America, Latin America and Europe.
While there are a number of entities and professional groups – federal, State and local – that serve these industries and their professionals to advance their interests, few if any have a transatlantic focus or specifically serve European companies and professionals from these industries present in Florida. And whereas specific know-how and expertise represent a competitive advantage for any company, the issues confronted by the sector are the same for all.
EACC Florida’s Task Force is loosely inspired from a similar TF run by EACC Auvergne-Rhone-Alps: https://eacc-ra.com/task-forces/.
Mission: to bring together active professionals who understand the benefits of sharing best practices across industries, ensuring that there is no silo thinking.
Role: to organize meetings on a regular basis to address strategic issues, share findings and best practices and make mutual recommendations for improvement in a given sector of activity. Chatham House rules or any other confidentiality rule might be used to allow for open exchange during the meetings.
Task Force Members: representatives of EACC Florida Member companies with interests in the transportation/logistics industry invited to serve on the Task Force.
If you wish to receive further details about the Task Force, please contact Christina Sleszynska at [email protected]
Many thanks to the Task Force Members for their leadership and support!
