Journal

These highly important, and historic Council sessions took place at WCO headquarters in Brussels from 26 to 28 June 2008. The main issues addressed related to policy matters, elections and appointments, … and a variety of other topics.

The use of advance technology to track the movement of cargo, and entry and exit of individuals is essential to the task of managing the movement of hundreds of millions of individuals, conveyances … and vehicles. The maritime container control system will be an essential building block of the “smart border” concept.

The National Directorate of Customs is an autonomous institution based on the principles of legality, good faith and transparency, and is charged with applying Customs legislation, facilitating … international trade, controlling goods traffic efficiently, preventing, suppressing and sanctioning illicit Customs activities, protecting society, and generating important resources for the State.

The WCO approached the University of Le Havre to research the impact on international trade of the recently adopted US law on 100% scanning of maritime containers before loading.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have gained greater importance due to the impact that they are having on different economies around the world. According to the Small and Medium Enterprise … Development Authority (SMEDA), SMEs comprise approximately 90% of all firms in the world and account for an average of 40% to 50% of countries’ GDP. In the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) region for example, SMEs account for over 80% of all businesses and employ as much as 60% of the work force.

The two day WCO conference focusing on the application of rules of origin around the world took place in Brussels (Belgium) from 16-17 June 2008. With rules of origin now a prominent feature … of today’s trading system given the plethora of regional trade arrangements that exist and those that are under negotiation across the globe, the issue has become more topical than ever. These rules enable preferential arrangements to be more effectively implemented; the positive benefits of which include the development of trade and the encouragement of foreign investment.