WCO Data Model: the bridgehead to connectivity in international trade

Issues related to complicated regulatory procedures, redundancies in documentation and data required by government agencies, and paper-based processes have been addressed extensively over the last two decades, and several recommendations and guidelines have been developed to reduce the trader’s effort, cost and time in carrying out regulatory formalities. Principal among them is the use of international standards for data and documentation. In this domain, the WCO is promoting the use of its Data Model, a collection of international standards on data and information required not only by Customs, but also by government agencies, in relation to the regulation of crossborder trade.