Post by Walter Oblin

Pleasure to see important parts of the global postal community come together in Dubrovnik last week for the International Post Corporation (IPC) Annual General Conference on “The Changing Face of the Global E-Commerce Supply Chain.” With our strong delivery network across CEE, Turkey and beyond – combined with enhanced service capabilities, including our recent euShipments.com acquisition – we are well positioned to participate in the continued growth of e-commerce and adapt quickly in a changing environment. At the same time, the industry must remain agile to respond to rapidly evolving requirements. In this context, this year’s discussions were dominated by a shared concern among CEOs: the upcoming customs changes introduced by the European Union, taking effect on July 1, including a new customs fee of €3 per item. The new framework will fundamentally change how e-commerce items from abroad – including key markets such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China – can enter the EU. With only a few weeks to go, key aspects remain unclear, creating a high risk of disruption for consumers, retailers and cross-border e-commerce. The industry is therefore calling for a postponement of at least six months to ensure proper implementation. I can only support this call. Finally, a particularly strong keynote by Subi Rangan from INSEAD reminded us that, even in a transforming e-commerce landscape, one factor remains constant: relationships. “Relationships matter more than ever – they enable relevance.” We strongly believe this. Across all our activities, we continue to foster strong partnerships with key partners such as policymakers, retailers and other logistics players. And with our ambition of being “Post & beyond in Austria” – spanning mail & parcel, banking, telco and much more – we are committed to strengthening local ecosystems and staying relevant for our customers. A truly enriching event – thank you to all participants, IPC and Hrvatska pošta for organizing this excellent conference!