Articles

A new version of the WCO Strategic Trade Control Enforcement Implementation Guide was published in December 2023.

In Indonesia, the number of individuals purchasing goods online continues to rise annually, and it is estimated that 73% of the population made at least one transaction through a computer network … in 2023. Bank of Indonesia has reported that, in 2022, e-commerce transactions reached USD 30.5 billion and the figure is to grow further in the coming years.

The Study provides a comparative analysis of origin provisions in a region which has the most numerous and complex overlapping trade regimes of the entire African continent.

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 governmental, 2017 saw the introduction of a national electronic system for the management of cross-border trade operations, called FASAH.

Performing due diligence can be challenging for SMEs, and regulators should take this into account when designing trade compliance programmes and initiatives.

Each year, the WCO Secretariat invites the Organization’s Members to focus on a theme it considers critical to the effective and efficient delivery of their missions. In 2024, under the slogan … “Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose”, the Secretariat is inviting Customs administrations both to reaffirm longstanding partnerships and to boldly forge new alliances.

Customs value and transfer pricing could be likened to Siamese twins - that's how closely linked they are. Let's discuss some practical questions related to the year-end transfer pricing adjustments: … If the price is revised upwards, does the importer have to go to customs and pay additional duties? If the price is revised downwards, is the importer entitled to a refund of duties? If the goods are duty-free and there is no excise duty, but only import VAT (which is deductible in any case)?

The first month of 2024 started with the publication of several European documents at common European and regional level (Baltic Republics), which present interesting facts and analyses on the … export and transit of prohibited, restricted or dual-use goods. These are: white paper on Export Control; Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/214 of 10 January 2024 on guidelines setting out the methodology for data gathering and processing for the preparation of the annual report on the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council; and 'Regional Approach to Ensure Uniform Customs Controls and Information Exchange for Implementation of the EU Restrictive Measures', adopted by the Baltic Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The Israel Customs Authority does not seem to be a fan of discounts. It appealed against the judgement of the District Court, in which the court clarified that the Customs Authority cannot, on … the one hand, rely on the fact that the price is subject to a condition (discount) that cannot be assessed and the transaction price is therefore invalid, and, on the other hand, base the assessment on the transaction price but without the condition. Let's take a look at what the Supreme Court had to say in this dispute. The disputed amount is about ILS 5 million (~1.3 million Eur).

Note from the CCRM editors: What can we expect from customs in the future? Professor Albert Willem Veenstra addressed this question together with other authors in the article ‘The changing role … of Customs: Customs aligning with supply chain and information management’ (World Customs Journal). After participating in a webinar on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), in which Professor Veenstra shared his insights, we took the opportunity to ask about the impact of this regulation on Customs and talk about various other related topics, such as complex supply chains, new business models for customs brokers and, of course, the knowledge required to meet the demands of a modern compliance professional.

News in week 4. WCO dedicates 2024 to 'Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose'; EU's white paper on export controls and new guidelines on data gathering and processing; uniform … regional restrictive measures implementation in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; preparation for linking the excise system EMCS to export system AES; FAQs about CBAM; updates to the tariff measures for poultrymeat, open mesh fabrics of glass fibres and mixtures of urea and ammonium nitrate; extension of protective (SPS) measures for bivalve molluscs from Türkiye.

The UCC reform proposal, if adopted, means saying goodbye to many familiar concepts (entry summary declaration, customs declaration, declarant, etc.) and welcoming new ones. We provide an overview … of some proposed changes to the definitions of the UCC, which show that the current roles and responsibilities of the actors involved (e.g., exporter, importer, declarant, carrier, customs warehouse of free zone operator) as well as certain familiar customs simplifications will disappear (e.g., entry in the declarant’s records, simplified and supplementary declaration) and customs processes will change significantly, in particular due to the creation of a central EU Customs Data Hub. Economic operators concerned should analyse the forthcoming changes and draw the attention of the legislative bodies to weaknesses and possible unintended consequences in customs processes in a timely manner.

Late payment of taxes, including import taxes recalculated as a result of discrepancies detected by customs after clearance, is subject to late payment penalties and interest. The sums can be … huge, especially considering that tax reassessments can be made for three years or even longer (for example, if the dispute is in court). For an idea of how long this period can be, see the relevant Court of Justice of the EU judgement. Moreover, it is a significant Court's decision impacting the landscape of Value Added Tax (VAT) and customs law within the EU. This article delves into the Court's findings, emphasizing the principles of legal certainty and effectiveness in EU law, and exploring its implications for VAT legislation and practices.

Recognising the critical role that customs intermediaries play in enabling international trade for UK businesses, the government issued a consultation that sought feedback on the concept of introducing … a voluntary standard. The final phase of the consultation process concluded in August 2023. A significant consensus emerged among stakeholders on the idea of introducing a voluntary standard for customs intermediaries.

Case law tells us how importing and exporting SMEs, which do not have in-house customs expertise, understand their role and responsibilities, as well as those of a customs broker. Often, when … a dispute arises with customs over penalties imposed on an importer or exporter for an offence, the company claims that it was confident that it had properly fulfilled its obligations by entrusting customs clearance to a professional service provider - the customs broker. The company therefore learns the hard way about its customs-related responsibilities and obligations. What role does the customs broker play in preventing such situations? In this article, we argue that customs brokers need to take on the role of proactive educator and suggest a way to do this.

Forced labor is on the rise worldwide. The United States is one of the largest importers of merchandise at risk of being produced with forced labor and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) … is committed to identifying products made with forced labor and preventing them from entering the United States. From FY 2022 to date, CBP’s forced labor enforcement has impacted over $ 2 billion worth of shipments. Clearly, companies have a lot at stake, and compliance with anti-forced labor requirements is critical not only from a corporate responsibility standpoint but due to the impact it may have on a company’s financial position.