In major humanitarian crises, whether natural disasters or complex emergencies, many relief goods are delayed by Customs. Sometimes these items are only released months after their arrival, and, in the worst-case scenario, may never reach the affected population.
The reason for such delays...
The adoption of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in December 2013 at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Ministerial Conference held in Bali, Indonesia, was a landmark achievement for the global trade community. The so-called ‘Bali Package’ marked an end to trade negotiations tha...
There are currently over 400 free trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements in place worldwide, which establish lower rates of Customs duties for certain goods provided that specified origin criteria are met. However, many companies ignore the fact that they can claim tar...
The WCO has released a new edition of the “Guide to Measure the Time Required for the Release of Goods,” known as the Time Release Study (TRS) Guide. An update of the TRS software and its User Manual will follow in the coming months.
The WCO Time Release Study is an inter...
The WCO Secretariat and Customs administrations worked in close consultation with other international organizations involved in cross-border policies in updating the latest edition of the TRS Guide, based on new and emerging strategic and business needs.
In Version 3 of the Guide, the WCO ...
The WCO’s initiative on “Small Island Economies” (SIEs) was launched in June 2018 with the aim of providing the Customs administrations of such economies with tailor-made capacity building and technical assistance that would help them to curb illicit trade and smuggling more effectively, wh...
Challenges they face, in varying degrees, include:
An updated version of the Time Release Study (TRS) Guide was released in June 2025. This latest edition reaffirms the WCO’s commitment to supporting Members in enhancing the efficiency, predictability, and transparency of border procedures. Building on practical ...
Key enhancements
The TRS methodology is described in a guide which latest version was released a few months ago under the title
The world is turning digital, faster than we could have imagined, and public administrations are also moving online just as fast. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is everywhere in today’s Customs workplace. From the use of ICT in office automation, to the use of the Internet to p...
Digital Customs, the opportunities of the Information Age
The availability of quality and timely electronic data in a standardized and harmonized manner underpins the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for modern border procedures. Some of the common challenges relating to data requirements for various Customs and border c...
Currently, the WCO DM contains 727 data elements that support different data requirements for various Customs and border regulatory processes and systems, including the Single Window environment. It is a comprehensive technical dataset that is dynamically updated through an established Data Maint...
The Royal Malaysian Customs Department is working on a new information system, known as uCustoms, which will enable effective information-sharing, streamlined procedures, and genuine collaboration among all agencies involved in the clearance process.
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Most free trade agreements (FTAs) include provisions related to the cumulation of rules of origin. Simply put, such provisions allow parties to an FTA to use products originating in a country which is another party to the same FTA, or in countries which are not linked by an FTA or are linked by a...
The document consists of the following three main sections:
As far back as 1971, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise (HMC&E) – as it was then – was looking at how computers could be beneficial to the Customs process. The growth in air traffic and the need to clear goods quickly in the United Kingdom (UK) prompted the development of the London Airpo...
The Republic of Serbia is geographically located on the trade routes connecting Western and Central Europe to the Southeast region of Europe, especially the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as Turkey, and further away, the countries of Western Asia. To facilitate trade operations and esp...
The computer system that allows for real-time messages to be exchanged between countries, the tracking of goods and the management of guarantees, from end-to-end, is a stand-alone application that has to be implemented by all Parties and is called the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS). The N...
The environment surrounding Customs administrations is changing rapidly. The conclusion by the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its Trade Facilitation Agreement in December 2013 demands that governments make further efforts to simplify trade procedures and ensure more transparency in trade regul...
The implementation of a real-time electronic cargo monitoring system to track goods transported in transit enables countries in East Africa to cut transit time, prevent cargo theft and boost revenue collection
In the East Afr...
RECTS operates in real time, enabling any transit violations, such as going off route, seal tampering or breaking, to be detected. Every time such an incident occurs, an alert is sent to the central monitoring centres hosted in each country, and a rapid response team is sent to the scene. The tea...
After six years of intensive efforts, on 16 August 2017, Peru and Chile opened their first joint integrated border control centres. This new system aims to facilitate the movement of people, baggage and motor vehicles, and is an example of the practical implementat...
...
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
The World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA) entered into force on 22 February 2017. The latest measu...
Context for change
Driven by the need to ensure it would be able to address the increased demands of the global trading landscape, with regard to both financial and social security, accession to international instruments ...
The Brazilian Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme can be considered one of the most advanced and successful in the world. Indeed, from the outset, the Programme has featured some prominent characteristics. Among other things, an internationally renowned consulting firm was involved in it...
Staged implementation
The implementation of the Brazilian AEO Programme has been carried out in stages: AEO-Security certification was launched in 2014 and AEO-Compliance certification in 2015. In 2016, steps were taken t...
New publications
The National Board of Trade Sweden recently published a report entitled Trade and Climate Change – Promoting c...
Ongoing discussions related to the trade liberalization of environmental and climate-friendly goods
Trade and the environment has been a long-standing topic in the WTO, and various – so far unsuccessful – attempts have been made to li...
Environmentally preferable products
As mentioned above, another issue in previous negotiations has been whether to include so-called “environmentally preferable products...
Procomex is an alliance of Brazilian companies and private sector organizations which aims to support the Customs modernization process. In this article, Procomex explains why it decided to replicate the survey used by the World Bank to evaluate the performance of ...
In order to provide a clear understanding of practices relating to the role of brokers, including institutional frameworks and the regulatory/licensing requirements, and to further provide guidance to its Members, the WCO developed a Study Report on Customs Brokers...
Of the 99 reporting administrations, 72 stated that the use of Customs brokers was optional. Nine reported that the use of Customs brokers for Customs transactions was mandatory. Fourteen indicated that the use of Customs brokers was mandatory, except for certain specified categories of Customs c...
Of the 95 reporting administrations which have set out some sort of mechanism for Customs brokers, 84 require Customs brokers, and wherever applicable third parties, to meet certain requirements before being allowed to handle Customs clearances. Detailed results on the requirements as well as the...
The TIR system is going paperless. The new eTIR system is based on real-time digital data exchange between transport operators, Customs authorities, TIR system guaranteeing organizations, and the United Nations. A pilot project is currently being implemented betwee...
The Customs Administration of Burkina Faso recently implemented two key measures to facilitate trade: the establishment of an Advance Ruling Mechanism on tariff classification, and the performance of Time Release Studies. Both of these measures are prescribed in the World Trade Organization’s (...
In implementing these two measures, Burkina Faso Customs benefited from WCO assistance in the areas of project management and stakeholder engagement. The WCO provided this support as part of its West African Customs Administrations Modernization (WACAM) Project, which is funded by the Swedish Gov...
In July 2024, the Portuguese Government adopted 15 measures to combat digital bureaucracy and simplify the interactions between citizens and public administrations. The measures are not centred on public administration efficiency but rather on the impact they will have on citizens and companies....
However, specific formalities apply to consignments which contain goods whose intrinsic value at import does not exceed 1,000 euro and which are not subject to a special formality provided for in EU legislation which the Customs authorities are required to apply (restrictions, prohibitions, exci...
With its recent ratification in February 2017, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement is now in force. This is fantastic news for making trade simpler, and for ta...
This is a time when there is a high level of interest worldwide in the use of Customs brokers, especially the value of Customs brokers in creating efficiencies for moving goods across borders in a cost effective way, and in securing revenue while protecting the public interest.
Yet, Custom...
With the entry into force of the ‘Union Customs Code’ in the European Union, and the still all too real terrorist threat, obtaining the status of an Authorized Economic Operator is even more vital than ever for companies in the world of logistics. However, guar...
Small island states and the various issues that they face, from whatever perspective one looks at them, are a priority for the global community as a whole. This article explains the challenges and peculiarities of Customs administrations of small isla...
Potential solutions
Against such a background, SVEs should seek to integrate into the global economy by tackling issues like trade and food security standards, capacity constraints, and structural handicaps and vulnerabil...
The Jamaica Customs Agency is cognizant of the benefits to be derived from the introduction and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in partnership with other partnering regulatory agencies (PRAs). Such an endeavour is considered strategic and necessary for improved service deliv...
As part of the reform, an electronic Single Administrative Document (eSAD) covering all declaration regimes was introduced, which resulted in an immediate reduction in the cost of documentary compliance for clients, and in the standardization of all procedures across all Customs Offices. Suppor...
Norway is the first country in Europe to design a general system for the taxation of low-value cross-border e-commerce transactions in accordance with the OECD guidelines for the application of VAT to international trade. In 2024, the threshold under which items we...
Norway was not the only country looking to solve this problem. In 2015, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published their report entitled “Addressing the Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy”, recommending to reassign the responsibility for VAT collection to n...
In Japan, about 920 companies or individuals are engaged in Customs brokerage as of April 2016. The Japanese Customs broker regime has the following characteristics: the use of a broker is optional; brokers require a licence to operate; brokers must employ qualifie...
The digital supply chain is where the world of trade is being transformed, as consumers and businesses switch to digital media, digital goods and e-commerce in place of physical goods traded at bricks-and-mortar stores. New platforms for trading goods online as well as on the ‘dark net,’ new ...
Today, a lot of what we do generates data. These data can be analysed in real time thanks to hyperconnected infrastructures – a state of communications where electronic and computer devices of all kinds can communicate among each other to whatever extent each individual user desires – as well...
Together on time
A great deal has changed in the DGA since the publication of that article. In August 2020, a new administration took command and set the objective of turning the Dominican Republic into the logistics epicentre par excelle...
Starting from the premise that time is a key factor in attracting new cargo volumes and foreign investment into our country, the DGA launched the “Release in 24 Hours” (D24H) programme under the motto “Together on time” in June 2021. The main objective is to motivate all importers regard...
Located in the centre of South America, Bolivia is characterized by a varied topography ranging from low-lying plains to high mountain ranges. Owing to its strategic location, Bolivia has the potential to become a connecting hub between the economic regions of the Andean Community (abbreviated as...
Investment in road, Customs and logistics infrastructure
Over the past few years, the Government of Bolivia – under the administration of President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora and the President of the Bolivian National C...
Modernizing Customs
The Bolivian Customs Administration rolled out a series of advanced technologies to boost efficiency and strengthen border security. Such technologies include scanners for non-intrusive inspection of v...
The SAT is steadily advancing in the modernization of customs processes related to cross-border e-commerce, consolidating Guatemala’s position as a regional benchmark in trade facilitation and intelligent customs control.
Data-driven m...
Expedited Clearance of Courier Shipments
International e-commerce has led to a substantial increase in express courier shipments. To meet this demand, the SAT implemented a specific procedure for personal-use consignments...
In its first phase, the CDS will be used by SAT-authorized users. In the second, it will integrate with institutional databases to automate the receipt and processing of information about senders, recipients, content, and countries of origin—streamlining clearance and strengthening control.
...
In Cameroon, a licensed Customs broker (LCB) plays a very important role in the national supply chain. The national directory of LCBs lists almost 200 brokers, with the number changing as licences are withdrawn or brokers cease their activities.
Under the current regulations it is compulso...
India figured amongst the top 10 countries that had improved its ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2019. The most remarkable progress was made in the category “Trading across borders,” where India’s rank jumped from 146 to 80, the highest ju...
Exports
On 1 July 2017, India introduced a single tax called the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is levied on the supply of goods or services consumed in India. There is not GST on exports, and if transactions leading...
Advance rulings relating to the determination of tariff classification and origin of goods are already established in several countries, but few have implemented such a system in the field of Customs valuation. Such rulings do not determine or confirm ...
In addition to advance rulings, CBP also issues several other types of rulings. These include internal advice decisions on pending transactions, protest decisions on appeals of completed transactions and final determinations concerning the country of origin for purposes of government procurement....
The opportunity
As enhanced trade facilitation and refined Customs risk management strategies make possible the opportunity for common Customs frameworks and modernization efforts, such as regional Single Window initiativ...
In 2016, the Cameroon government opted to impose a systematic scanning policy for containers on both their import and export. This article assesses the impact of this mechanism in the Customs clearance procedure, focusing, in turn, on its efficiency, how it is gene...
Repositioning the scanner upstream of the clearance procedure
In 2006, mobile scanners had been positioned at the end of the Customs clearance procedure, and containers were subject to the scanning process only where:
...
In the last decade Uruguay experienced a true energy revolution. Back at the turn of the century oil accounted for 27% of Uruguay’s imports and a new pipeline was just about to begin supplying gas from Argentina. Today hydroelectric, biomass, solar and wind power plants provide 94.5% of the cou...
It also worked to resolve the logistical problems posed by the size and weight of some of the goods involved. In particular, it provided importers with specially rearranged premises to allow for the storage of such goods at the port and reviewed the working hours of customs officials.
In a...
In the EU, the “simplification for the determination of amounts being part of the Customs value of the goods” under the transaction value method allows operators to avoid the burden of a two-step declaration – i.e. a simplified declaration followed by...
This possibility was first introduced in the EU Customs provisions in 1997[3]. However, the scope of the authorization was limited to additions and deductions related to the transaction value, and did not cover the price actually paid or payable ...
One positive outcome from the COVID-19 pandemic was the boost in the digitization of interactions and operations in many sectors of society. Digitization is a relatively easy concept to understand. It is the process of converting information into a digital format, in other words, bits and bytes. ...
The challenges behind limited adoption
There are several reasons behind the current situation:
In the 20-plus years since first being established in Singapore and Sweden, Single Windows (SWs) have remained the central focus of border clearance strategies. The implementation of such an environment is generally seen by trade experts around the world as a very ...
In April 2019, the WCO SAFE Working Group endorsed a document providing a summary of the technical specification for the proposed unified X-ray file format for non-intrusive inspection (NII) devices, codenamed the Unified File Format (UFF). Endorsement of the summary document by the WCO’s Polic...
UFF Phase 2 deliverables
The architecture of the UFF is outlined in a document entitled “Technical Sp...
In 2020, the European Commission signed Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs) with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers on behalf of the European Union (EU) Member States to ensure affordable and timely access to COVID-19 vaccines for their population. Financial support had been given to vaccine manufactu...
The export authorization was to be granted by the competent authority of the Member State where the vaccines were manufactured. It had to be produced when the goods were declared for export or, at the latest, at the moment of the release of the goods. In Belgium, the authority competent for grant...
Five years ago, clearing shipments imported through Saudi ports of entry was a lengthy process that could take importers up to 12 days, and 8 days on average.
To facilitate reporting and the exchange of data between all parties involved in the clearance of goods, whether private or governm...
To support the momentum gained so far and further reduce clearance times, in 2023 ZATCA launched the Clearance Within Two Hours Initiative. This Initiative brought together 26 government agencies involved in the clearance process, plus several public and private entities, with the aim of identify...
Saudi Customs is the latest Customs administration to implement an authorized economic operator (AEO) programme. In doing so, its objective is to modernize border processing and support the trade facilitation objectives outlined in “Vision 2030,” a national blueprint for the Kingdom of Saudi ...
Canada is internationally recognized as one of the best places in the world to do business. If it is to maintain its competitive edge, increase productivity and spur innovation, Canada must constantly strive to improve the conditions for doing business. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) pl...
Trade has always been one of the manifestations of freedom and power. The idea of a “free port” can be traced back to 167 BC, when the Roman Senate made a decision to turn the then Roman island Delos into a free port[1]. City-States in the early Middle Age...
The same characteristics that make free zones attractive to legitimate business also lure fraudsters and criminals. They can forge documents and use free zones to repackage or relabel goods, or manufacture and assemble new goods in these zones. The transit and transshipment of goods pose the high...
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service recently implemented a new, modern IT system to manage their foreign trade operations. The migration from the old to the new system had to be smooth to ensure business continuity. This article presents the rationale behind the m...
Rationale for migrating to a new system
Several factors influenced the decision to move to a new system. Botswana’s rankings in the World Bank’s flagship report, Doing Business 2011, prompted measures that were aimed ...
Increasing the efficiency of transportation is key to reducing the impact of trade operations on the environment. To achieve significant results, Customs, border agencies, traders and logistics operators must digitalize their processes and share relevant data. Howe...
Working with industry leaders such as DHL, DPD, Cosco and Kuehne + Nagel, as well as with Customs administrations and other public authorities, MJC2 has developed new AI-driven algorithms and optimization solutions, which address areas such as real-time logistics planning, manufacturin...
Africa has a long history of initiatives aiming at supporting regional economic cooperation. Let me give a few examples. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) dates back to the 1889 Customs Union Convention between the British Colony of the Cape of Good Hope and the Orange Free State...
This long introduction is aimed at demonstrating that the AfCFTA is the latest of many regional integration initiatives that go back to the years prior to the colonization of Africa, of integration efforts by the colonial powers, and of initiatives by independent African States under the auspices...
Schedules of Tariff Concessions
The term “Schedules of Tariff Concessions” is defined in Article 1 of the Protocol as “a list of negotiated specific tariff concessions and commitments by each State Party”...
Customs authorities often boast about working closely and in partnership with the private sector – but what does that really mean? In too many cases, working with the private sector turns out to be little more than a tick-box exercise, perhaps based on a couple o...
A neutral player
Procomex started out as an informal alliance of business associations, with 54 members in 2004. But it was a virtual organization without a proper, functional structure. Regina Terezin, Customs broker wit...
Customs administrations in the Western Balkans have established a platform to automatically exchange Customs data. Called “SEED”, the system has proven efficient in identifying irregularities, offences and smuggling activities, as well as in accelerating the cl...
Modules
The SEED application consists of several modules (see Figure 2) which extract data from the Parties’ CDPS. Data records are displayed in one window and can be searched, sorted by column, grouped, and exported in...
At the end of June 2016, a group of WCO experts went to Tunisia as part of a research programme on barriers to trade facilitation with a particular focus on potential obstacles linked to the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The WCO-l...
Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) have developed a Regional Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme with the support of the WCO and in partnership with the EAC Secretariat. Under this scheme, regional AEOs will be mutually recognized in all Pa...
With the diffusion of user-friendly technologies and increasing penetration of the Internet globally, e-commerce is witnessing exponential growth: the global online retail market now topping 1 trillion US dollars a year, and is set to double within four years.
Some of these online transact...
The Brazilian government has recently centralized its export procedures and developed a new online platform to process export operations in order to make them more efficient and, ultimately, boost the economy. The new “unified export system” is the first application developed as part of Brazi...
Once this step had been completed, only then could the exporter actually submit an export declaration together with any other necessary documents to the RFB to initiate the Customs clearance. Among the documents to be presented were the commercial invoice (containing information about the actual ...
Nigeria is the fourth largest economy in Africa. Given its market size and strategic location on the African continent, international trade plays a key role in its economy, and the country is home to a network of bustling ports, airports and border crossings. In recent years, the Nigerian Governm...
The AEO programme will gradually replace the Fast Track Scheme (FTS) introduced in 2003, which was compliance-focused and open only to manufacturers, with the key benefit of allowing goods arriving in Nigeria to be immediately transferred to a trader’s premises under NCS escort.
Setting up the foundation: AEO Steering Committee and Technical Working Group
One of the milestones of the project was the inauguration ceremony held on 2 August 2023 for the newly established AEO Steering Committee and ...
Over the last five years, the global economy has been changing. Consumers are buying more goods online, e-commerce is flourishing, and supply chains are moving at a breakneck speed. At the same time, the number of trade agreements is growing, and countries are increasingly more focused on regulat...
A decade ago, transit of goods in Central America suffered from lack of coordination of border agencies, cumbersome and slow Customs and administrative procedures, and limited use of information technologies.
More precisely, exporters with shipments in transit had to clear Customs at each ...
Numbers are a universal language. They reflect an intelligible and neutral understanding about what is happening on the ground. Measuring should threfore be a random activity in the daily life of any Customs service searching to improve its procedures as part of it...
Some years ago, the WCO took the initiative to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the creation of an electronic ATA Carnet (eATA) solution. ICC presented its eATA concept to the WCO back in 2016 and, with the support of the Organization, implemented an eATA...
What is the ATA Carnet System?
In each one of the countries or territories having implemented the ATA Carnet procedure, the Customs authority appoints a National Guaranteeing Association (NGA) which guarantees payment of ...
How Customs can prepare
As already explained, the ATA Carnet System provides a dedicated turnkey application – ATA Carnet Customs (ACC) – for Customs to process and manage digital Carnets. The various steps Customs s...
Guatemala’s Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) has set forth the objective to comprehensively modernize the work processes of its Customs Intendency in order to simplify and automate the entry and exit of goods on its territory. By 2025, several new Customs clearance models are expecte...
The team working on the air cargo stream identified several issues such as:
Benefits
The implementation of the new air cargo clearance model entailed several challenges. System dependencies had to be mapped out and understood, migration process had to be developed, staff and users had to change t...
Introduction
The Horn of Africa refers to the easternmost extension of Africa, and for the purposes of this article, includes the region covered by Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland. This area has been ...
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing trading hubs, as a result of its accelerated and extensive modernization initiatives in recent years, the quality of its infrastructure, the intellectual power of its workforce, and ...
Cross-border e-commerce is increasing sharply in Korea. This is not surprising given that the country ranked No.1 in the world in terms of Internet connection speed at the beginning of 2015, and that the Korean economy is extremely dependent on foreign trade. Howev...
Earlier this year, the WCO and the Bahamas Customs and Excise Department (BCED) embarked on an exciting partnership to employ a new model for Customs capacity building and technical assistance. For the first time, a national multi-year WCO Mercator Programme Implementation Plan has been combined ...
Under the Mercator Programme, capacity building is provided on the basis of a comprehensive needs assessment and development plan. Once gaps related to meeting the commitments under the TFA have been identified, multi-year action plans are developed to serve as roadmaps and mechanisms by which pr...
The first Free Zone Park in the Dominican Republic was established in 1969, in the city of La Romana, by the Gulf and Western Corporation, an American firm, which has grown to become the largest private operator in the country. The legal provisions regulating such “free zones” are laid out in...
Dynamic growth
By 2017, the free zone sector in the Dominican Republic consisted of 71 parks, bringing together 665 companies. The Free Zone Parks generate 165,724 direct jobs and account for exports amounting to just und...
Embedded in the Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, which was adopted by the WCO in 2005, is the concept of an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) that has been widely implemented by Customs administrations around the world. In the South American region, preparations for ...
These figures do not tell us much if not compared with the total number of importers. Let’s do an exercise with Colombia. In this country, 920 companies are recognized as big importers and are already benefitting from a facilitation scheme. Given that most existing and potential AEOs are and wo...
In choosing the most cost-effective option to distribute goods, supply chain managers all over the world have four transport options to choose from: ocean-going vessel, plane, train, or truck. But for European distribution there is also another efficient option available, shortsea shipping
Ferries are also big players in the industry. They transport goods in trailers, which unlike containers, come in various shapes and sizes, and the cargo can be both accompanied and unaccompanied. Shortsea shipping has been quietly growing and developing, and several ports see this trade as...
Connecting national Customs systems to share data on transit operations is a priority for the Customs administrations of West and Central Africa, as well as for economic operators, international institutions and development partners working in this region. The obje...
Inception
SIGMAT is the result of a long process, which involved many actors. With the financial support of the European Union (EU), the Customs administrations of some of the countries making up the Economic Community of...
Any Customs administration could eventually benefit from SIGMAT. Its implementation will not require development for those using the ASYCUDA World Customs computer system, making the adoption of SIGMAT particularly feasible for them.
However, there are some important prerequisites. Interes...
Using data analytics, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has developed an application automating the measurement of release and clearance times at the border. The result is an ability to measure time release dynamically and in real time, and to overcome the limitations of t...
Limitations of traditional TRS
Legacy Time Release Studies are static (one time) and based on manual data collection, observation, and qualitative analysis. This lack of ...
Bahrain Customs Affairs (BCA) is constantly developing its systems and infrastructure to support and improve Customs operations, thereby helping to build a safe, advanced, investment-friendly business environment in the Kingdom. Bahrain, an active Member of the WCO, regularly examines the standar...
Challenges
Customs warehouses play a role in lowering technical barriers to trade by enabling goods to be temporarily stored without being cleared through Customs; import duties and other taxes are therefore not collected...
Slovakia plays a significant role as a transit country in European trade due to its strategic location in Central Europe. It borders Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine, making it a key transit hub for goods moving across the continent. In 2014, when the European Commission r...
The NCTS has been in use since 2005 and has been updated several times. The NCTS P4 had been in operation for almost two decades when a decision was taken to replace it as part of a wider initiative to modernize Customs systems arising from the Work Programme on the Union Customs Code (UCC). This...
Bahrain Customs Affairs has developed a compliance programme with the ultimate objective of boosting international trade operations and increasing export opportunities, especially for companies operating in the key economic sectors identified in Bahrain’s Government Plan and in other policy doc...
Certification as an AEO is obtained through a specific process initiated once an application to join the AEO programme is received. Other levels of compliance are measured through post-clearance audits (PCA), a process consisting of a structured examination, after Customs has released the cargo, ...
Over several decades, the 1975 Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) has proven to be one of the most successful and efficient instruments for the facilitation of international transport and goods i...
Borderless Alliance is a private sector-led initiative that was established in 2012 to promote free movement of goods in West Africa through the removal of trade and transport barriers, and the simplification and harmonization of procedures. Consequently, it envisions a West Africa, where a truck...
By the conclusion of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2015, a total of 63 WTO members had ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), bringing the Organization closer to the threshold – two-thirds of its 162 members – neces...
In terms of the WCO International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention), “free zone” means a part of the territory of a Contracting Party [to the Convention] where any goods introduced are generally regarded, insof...
At present, the national legislative framework governing Georgia’s free industrial zones includes:
The Saudi economic and social reform plan, called Saudi Vision 2030, aims at inducing long-term economic growth that is not reliant only upon oil exports. Saudi Arabia is the largest market in the MENA region and a gateway to a region of over 424 million consumers. Leveraging its unique geographi...
Integrating the Single Window into TradeLens
Since 2017, Saudi Customs had been actively engaging in the digitalization of its clearance procedures and its handling of shipments. An electronic national system for the mana...
The Global Express Association (GEA) collects key performance indicators on the efficiency of Customs processes in currently 120 countries and territories. They are structured in a fully searchable online database that is publicly available on the association’s w...
All the investments that express delivery carriers constantly make to improve their network give them firm administrative and physical control over the parcels. Shipments tend to stay in an express carrier’s network throughout their journey. Track-and-trace capability allows carriers and their ...
Firstly, GEA’s objective is not to rank countries or point fingers at anyone. Rather, it wants to offer a contribution to the discussion on improving trade facilitation and on the level of implementation of the most important international treaties on this matter.
Secondly, the database ...
Re-code, an independent Chinese research institute focusing on issues related to Customs and trade, shares its thoughts in this article on the OECD method to assess trade facilitation policies, explains why it decided to evaluate t...
China’s trade facilitation policies
The OECD conducted assessments on China’s trade facilitation policies in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
The results are shown in table 1.
Experts agreed that, in general, the above evaluatio...
The inherent disadvantage of being an archipelagic country is the high cost of logistics. As a country with 17,000 or so islands, and with industrial activities heavily centralized in certain regions, Indonesia was for a long time no exception, with a lower ranking in the World Bank Logistics Per...
To take the project forward, a national team consisting of various governmental institutions involved in regulating and managing logistics operations was established. Although it is not a formal institution, the team has a formal project management structure:
Achievements
As at October 2024, activities planned under the NLE project have been implemented gradually in 46 seaports and six airports covering 97% of goods traffic through sea cargo and 98% of goods traffic through ai...
An initiative by Dubai Customs facilitating the speedy and hassle-free movement of transferred and transhipped goods augurs well for the supply chain and logistics industry in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Dubai has established itself as o...
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major shift in how we work, live and engage with each other – both on a personal and a professional level. After the initial shockwave, and following an adjustment period, we now find ourselves in a situation that is commonly referred to as ‘the new normal...
The context: providing support despite COVID-19 travel constraints
Capacity building and technical assistance-related activities have traditionally primarily been delivered face-to-face. When it became evident that travel restrictions wer...
FIATA, through our Working Group Sea Transport, provides crucial input to shape international policy discussions on maritime and Customs issues, working closely with international and regional organizations. Through our Customs Affairs Institute, we liaise regularl...
Ensuring a level playing field
While there are several reasons that may explain the shortage in containers and ship supply capacity, including the disruptive nature of the pandemic and associated restrictions, it is impor...
Over the past two years, the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) has embarked on an ambitious journey to reform its post-clearance audit (PCA) process with the support of the WCO. This article explains how the reform has taken shape and what has been ac...
In 1996, the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) established a PCA department, making PCA an essential part of its Customs declaration control process. As foreign trade turnover increased significantly over the decades that followed, the Administration reformulated its strategic goals...
Examining procedures and regulations
Based on the work plan, the MCGA created a working group to draft proposals for amendments to the Mongolian Customs Law. Together with all Customs staff involved in the legal reform, ...
Dubai, the second largest emirate of the UAE, stands among the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), bearing the fruits of adopting incentivizing policies and “smart government” initiatives. Recently, the Government of Dubai rolled out the emirate’s ...
E-commerce challenges
With a 25% yearly growth rate, the MENA region is the world’s fastest growing e-commerce market. Dubai consumers and businesses are major contributors to this growth, which is expected to continue ...
The International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures, known as the Kyoto Convention, was adopted on 19 May 1973 and entered into force on 25 September 1974 with 63 Contracting Parties. Twenty years later, in 1994, a decision to revise the Convention was take...
RKC review: rationale and scope
It is now 20 years since the adoption of the current RKC by the WCO Council in 1999. Though no amendments have been carried out thus far, comprehensive Guidelines relating to the General An...
During the RKC review process, several underlying principles and issues were identified by the Members, including in particular:
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is becoming the world’s largest existing free trade agreement in terms of economic size. Aimed at further integrating the economies of Southeast and Northeast Asia, the RCEP sets high requirements on Customs ...
Highlights of the RECP
For the first time, China and Japan have agreed on tariff concessions
There is no FTA betwe...
Parties should use the TRS to its full potential
Conducting a Time Release Study will not only enable Customs administrations to measure their commitments when it comes to...
At the WCO Transit Conference held in Brussels, Belgium in July 2017, during which the WCO Transit Guidelines were launched, many administrations presented and shared their national or regional experience with regard to transit procedures. This article presents the point of view of a large and we...
Between 2016 and 2020, many new electronic Customs systems will be developed within the European Union (EU). The new systems will have new data requirements based on a new WCO compatible data model, called the EU Customs Data Model (EU CDM). The EU CDM will enable ...
The Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) has 23 members made up of independent countries and self-governing territories in the Pacific region. Established in 1986, its mandate is to support Customs administrations in their endeavour to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their work, in orde...
OCO support
To support its members, the OCO organizes training events and holds various forums to foster the exchange of information and promote networking. When it comes to training, the OCO has identified a need not onl...
Peru’s air and maritime ports of entry and exit are close to capacity, which creates a series of issues that affect the country’s overall competitiveness, including making imports and exports more expensive in today’s global market.
Among other difficulties, until 2018, any entrepren...
WCO Time Release Study
A few years ago, the National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT) started devising a plan to help these companies make better decisions when hiring Customs brokers, in order to...
The devastating earthquakes that hit the southeast of Türkiye on 6 February 2023 destroyed 13 cities, directly affecting approximately 16 million people. Immediately, a fourth-level state of alert was declared, triggering a call for international help. Around 7,800 humanitarian aid shipments fro...
The National Disaster Response Plan establishes a Disaster International Support and Cooperation Group, which is primarily responsible for coordinating the distribution of aid to disaster victims. Within this Group, Turkish Customs’ role is to ensure fast clearance of international aid and dire...
This article presents the findings of a field study undertaken in 2021 at the border posts of Ethiopia with Kenya, Djibouti, and Somaliland. During the study, government officials and private sector representatives shared their views and perceptions on border manag...
My interest in border management had emerged during my studies in logistics and supply chain management, which I had started at Addis Ababa University in 2016. The field study was the final assignment of a master’s degree.
I selected these three border posts due to their importance in re...
Inter-agency cooperation
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted inter-agency cooperation at the Ethiopian borders with Somaliland, Djibouti, and Kenya, highlighting ...
One of the benefits of being a Customs broker[1] providing services at the international level is experiencing the flexibility and efficiency of many Customs authorities. One of the challenges is dealing with inconsistencies in ...
Adaptability
Central to everything they do are Customs authorities, as any changes in Customs legislation and processes impact them. One of the clear recent examples is Br...
When co-operation succeeds and excels
War is still sadly with us in many parts of the world. Regardless of which side people are on, one of the common challenges is arrang...
A dynamic and challenging operating environment
Trade is of paramount importance to Singapore, as a globally-oriented and open economy. The importance of trade to the country is reflected in the fact that the value of Sin...
Whereas the former Customs and Excise Department was mainly focused on revenue matters, the new Singapore Customs is vested with responsibility for both revenue and trade facilitation matters. This working arrangement allows the ICA and Singapore Customs to share the responsibility of securing Si...
On 26 December 2004 almost two-thirds of the Sri Lankan coast was severely affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami, which left thousands of people displaced, injured or dead in its wake, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to a natural disaster.
Besides low-frequency but high impact ev...
The importance of the Time Release Study (TRS) has long been emphasized by the WCO as a useful tool for Customs administrations across the world to assess their performance in terms of the clearance process. Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, catering to Jawaharlal Neh...
The African Union (AU) recognizes eight regional economic communities (RECs) as the building blocks for the African Economic Community (AEC), namely the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East ...
