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It would seem that customs compliance is one of the most complex and pressing issues for all companies and individuals involved in global trade. But is this really the case? Is there a widespread … understanding of how important it is to be aware of customs legislation and regulations and to keep up to date with the frequent changes and innovations? This question was discussed by experts from the EU, the UK, Brazil, Israel, Pakistan and Côte d'Ivoire at the 23rd Author's Meeting. The discussion revealed that many problems hindering customs compliance are similar in many countries. We invite you to read an overview of this discussion below.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has recently, after several pilots (amongst others in the Netherlands), launched an online tool for the verification of preferential origin statements. … The tool is named Genesis, after the ancient Greek word for origin, which is also the name of the first book of the Holy Bible and one of the world’s most popular progressive rock bands. So the obvious questions are: how progressive is this tool and does it rock?

Developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are the latest buzzword. However, the majority of people do not understand the technology behind it as well as its potential implications … for our lives and, more specifically, the field of customs and border management. In this article, we will give a short overview of the operational principles of AI tools and will provide insights into EU regulatory attempts to tame this disruptor of multiple areas of the world as we know and understand it.

The Southern Common Market (known as MERCOSUR) is a regional integration process initially established by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and subsequently joined by Venezuela (currently … suspended) and Bolivia (whose accession procedure is still underway). MERCOSUR makes its decisions through three bodies: the Council of the Common Market (CMC), which is the main MERCOSUR body that conducts the integration process politically; the Common Market Group (GMC), which oversees the day-to-day functioning of the bloc; and the Mercosur Trade Commission (CCM), which is responsible for the administration of common commercial policy instruments.

The electronic customs declaration consists of data elements that should be harmonised worldwide so that customs can verify the data flow from the exporting country to the importing country. … The World Customs Organisation has developed the WCO data model, which provides a universal language for cross-border data exchange. The EU has adopted this model for its own purposes and for trans-European use.

Electronic customs (‘e-customs’) is a major development for the EU's Customs Union. The project aims to replace paper-format customs procedures with EU-wide electronic procedures to create a … more efficient and modern customs environment. Each year the European Commission releases a report on progress in developing electronic systems. The latest report was published in February 2023.

EU Regulation provides a new legal framework to improve information sharing and digital cooperation between customs administrations and other government authorities in charge of enforcing non-customs … formalities at the EU border. What are these non-customs formalities?

The ‘single window’ is a trade facilitation measure, allowing parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, … export, and transit-related regulatory requirements, thus reducing duplication, time, and costs.