By providing insights on private-sector priorities, the objective has been to put forward relevant inputs for the Alliance countries that can be used in their integration agendas for the future. Common concerns raised in this preliminary survey are related to land transport, border and customs control, public information on freight, time to process paperwork and frequent changes in regulations. When this work is completed, robust survey results and detailed qualitative input from focus groups will provide a clearer picture of specific priorities and ideas for initiatives to drive progress. Based on this input, policy-makers and representatives from the private sector can take advantage of the World Economic Forum on Latin America in 2014 to agree on main priorities and a way forward. 

It is encouraging that the Pacific Alliance Business Council is already advancing many elements of these recommendations, and concrete proposals are expected to be presented to policy-makers in early 2014. A working agenda is already in place to develop a proposal on ways to harmonize technical standards for selected productive sectors (e.g. cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, processed food products). In addition, the Business Council is working on a roadmap to reduce time and costs of exporting and importing through the interoperability of single windows within the Alliance. Moreover, in advancing work on logistics competitiveness, the Business Council is looking to reduce some of the barriers preliminarily highlighted in this report, such as by promoting transparency on freight and other logistics costs. 

Continued implementation of priority initiatives can be organized through the Pacific Alliance’s existing structures, from both the public sector through the four layers of discussion groups, and the private sector through the Business Council. External organizations such as the IDB and the World Economic Forum can continue to serve useful roles as intermediaries and sources of analytical support. Through open communication and aligned incentives, the public and private sectors can work together to make the Pacific Alliance vision a reality.