CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership in partnership with the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association will present a special series of one day seminars for the Atlantic region.

Robert DeCamp, director of regulatory affairs and consulting with the Deringer Logistics Consulting Group, is a specialist in U.S. trade process and compliance will be one of the featured speakers for the seminars. The main goal of this seminar is to help both truckers and food exporters deal with U.S. border shipments efficiently and effectively to reduce slow downs at the border or loss of shipments.

DeCamp is a frequent lecturer and specializes in teaching both publicly and privately in selected international matters including tariff classification under the harmonized coding system, Customs valuation, NAFTA and most recently international compliance strategies including assessments and supply chain security.

He is and is a member of the advisory council of the School of Business and Economics at the State University of New York, and was licensed as a U.S. Customs broker in 1976, and belongs to numerous trade associations along with being a charter member of Customs ACE Committee.

He was also a member of the Exporters Certificate of Origin development team under the Canada/U.S. FTA, a Senior Lobbyist for the de minimis provision under NAFTA, and has authored several publications including United States Trade Process and Compliance Initiatives in the 21st century and a Manager’s Guide to Commercial Goods Certification under NAFTA.

Ron Dehmel of CSI Investigations Inc. will provide a presentation on the security issues for both truckers and food exporters surrounding FDA Regulations tied to crossing at the US border and export trade. While a specialist from A. N Deringer’s office will give a practical session on "How to deal with Prior Notice." The seminars will also include Crystal Main, CT-Pat Coordinator, J.D Irving Limited Corporate Security Group as a luncheon speaker, dealing with the challenges of transportation, and a panel discussion to include both food exporters and truckers designed to blend the challenges the new regulations have presented to both in the supply chain and its impacts.

"We are pleased to partner with the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association in this initiative. The importance of cooperation in the supply chain for food exporters has become a focus in making food exporters business a smoother process," said Ann Worth, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership (ACFEP).

While Ralph Boyd, president of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association notes, said truckers are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with issues such as hours of service combined with labour shortages and the bio-terrorism regulations that impact truckers as well as food exporters. These one day seminars promise to give both truckers and food exporters’ help in dealing with some of these issues and to provide an opportunity for discussion between the two sides of the supply chain, he added.

Food export companies in the Atlantic region are being asked to register for the seminars on the following Web site http://www.tallenassociates.com/febseminars.htm or by faxing (902) 894-5014 or calling the ACFEP at (902) 894-5015.