Advance rulings, a key element of trade facilitation

Article 3 of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) provides for advance rulings. The expression generally refers to the option that Customs has to issue a prior decision or ruling on a regulation in force, at the request of an economic operator planning a foreign trade operation. This article argues that WCO instruments relating to binding advance rulings provide comprehensive information for WCO Members who have not yet implemented such schemes, as well for those Members who are already issuing such rulings.