As part of the commitments set out in its 2025 Work Plan and in line with the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, World BASC Organization (WBO) held high-level meetings with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at its headquarters located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
The WBO delegation was comprised of Erik Moncayo, International President and Suzanne Lemaitre, Executive Director, who met with James Collins, Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of International Affairs, and his team. Accompanied by Fermín Cuza, past International President and Honorary Member of BASC, they also held discussions with the senior management of CBP’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Program, reaffirming the joint commitment to strengthening supply chain security in the hemisphere and promoting secure trade worldwide.
During the sessions, participants reviewed the progress in the implementation of the Action Plan derived from the Joint Statements signed between WBO and CBP in 2012 and 2021, and discussed priority areas of collaboration aimed at enhancing technical and operational cooperation in maritime and port security, information exchange, training and capacity-building, and the dissemination of best practices.
As part of this working agenda, the WBO delegation also took part in the retirement ceremony for Carlos Ochoa, Branch Chief, Trade Relations and Communications Division of CBP’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Program and BASC point of contact for more than 15 years, highlighting his valuable career and contribution to bilateral cooperation.
WBO expresses its appreciation to CBP for its openness and commitment to continue strengthening the more than 20 years of cooperation, and reaffirms its determination to keep advancing joint efforts in support of the more than 4,600 BASC-certified companies across 17 countries in the Americas.
