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It is broadly accepted that when goods, ideas and people are connected, growth is sparked and the benefits are manifold. Growth in trade is closely linked to economic development, and has been … since the dawn of civilization. The Latin America and Caribbean region is a prime example of how improved connectivity has resulted in increased development.

Recent developments within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) show strong moves towards strengthening Customs-to-Customs information exchange based on the ‘Customs inter-connectivity’ … concept. This article gives an overview of the roadmap of the SACU IT connectivity project, a key priority for the SACU-WCO Customs Development Programme.

Customs in South Africa operates within a ‘revenue authority’ model. The Customs and tax departments were merged into an autonomous body known as the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in 1996.

To facilitate and control the Dominican Republic’s trade with the rest of the world, based on the efficiency and transparency of Customs procedures, in line with international best practices, … successfully fulfilling Customs’ diverse role in controlling tax evasion, illicit trade, strengthening national security, and protecting health and the environment.

Other common terms for Free Trade Zones or designated trade promotion areas include Free Economic Zone (FEZ), Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Free Port (FP), Industrial Free Zone (IFZ) Technological … Free Zone (TFZ), Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and Industrial Development Zone (IDZ).

In recent years, there has been increased activity around the WCO Data Model among WCO Members and international organizations. But if most Customs IT systems seem to be, by and large, compatible … with the Model, the question of their full conformity remains open. This article presents the latest information available on the adoption of the Model by WCO Members as well as future developments of this major WCO tool.

An enforcement operation called “Short Circuit” was launched from July to September 2011 to increase the number of inspections, interdictions and investigations of imports containing substandard … and counterfeit electrical items. This Operation, which was conducted by 43 countries, resulted in the seizure of more than one million electrical goods. J. Scott Ballman Jr., Deputy Assistant Director, Homeland Security Investigations, at the US National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, shared his thoughts on the Operation’s successes and challenges.

Every year the World Trade Organization (WTO) tackles a problem in the world trading system in its World Trade Report. Th e 2010 Report was devoted to the trade in natural resources. Th is year, … the Organization takes an in-depth fresh look at preferential trade.

The HS 2012 explanatory notes 2012 are now available in paper format and the Alphabetical Index is under fi nal review before its publication.

The animals committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) met in Geneva on 22 July to discuss how to control the booming - and at times … illegal - wildlife trade. Delegates focused on the eff ects of the trade in three snake species and 20 other at-risk species, and made recommendations for monitoring this trade.

In June 2011 the WCO published its annual reports on drug traffi cking, tobacco smuggling, and infringements of intellectual property rights (IPR).

WTO members are taking more steps to shield their national industries from foreign competition as the economic climate deteriorates, said the monitoring group Global Trade Alert (GTA), which … estimates that almost 200 measures that harm trading partners have been introduced from November 2010 to July 2011.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently released a working paper evaluating the economic and trade impact of specific trade facilitation measures in the 30 … “old” OECD countries and Hong Kong, China.

All of us remember where we were ten years ago on September 11, 2001 or 9/11 as it has become known. Th e violence of 9/11 changed the world forever and its ramifi cations were equally felt by … the Customs and trade world. Security, in particular global trade security, became a priority policy objective and was enhanced as a vital component in Customs’ existing border protection portfolio to prevent such an attack from re-occurring. Moreover, the international Customs community successfully showed that security could be enhanced while facilitating legitimate trade at the same time. Th e actions of the WCO and its membership were and are essential to national and international security and economic prosperity.

The Customs Enforcement Guide on Transshipment Fraud consists of an introduction to the problems generated by transshipments, the legal framework containing current definitions, and the distinction … between transit and transshipment. It also refers to the specifi cs of transshipments via free zones, the mechanisms used, and recommendations on how to address the risks related to transshipment fraud.

In recent years, the world has witnessed an increase in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Th ese devices are manufactured using chemicals that are produced by various manufacturers … and available commercially throughout the world. They are utilized within civilian industries and generally legal to purchase, store, and use.

The 2011 WCO IPR trophy was awarded to the Argentine Customs Administration for its outstanding commitment to combating counterfeiting and piracy.

The Technical Committee continues to work on the relationship between transfer pricing and Customs valuation, and is also examining technical questions that have been received from the Customs … Administration of Belarus regarding the Customs value of industrial waste products, and from Singapore Customs on the Interpretation of “condition of sale” in Article 8.1 (c) and the Application of Article 8.1 (d) with respect to payments based on projected net profits.

Two decades ago, the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova turned an important page in its historical calendar and fully engaged itself in the process of state building and economic development … of the country.

A new Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Customs Management has been launched in Arusha, Tanzania by the East & Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), in … collaboration with the University of Canberra’s Centre for Customs & Excise Studies (CCES). ESAMI is chartered to grant degrees by 10 countries in the East and Southern Africa region: Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Th e new degree marks a milestone for Customs in Africa, as students from these countries have the opportunity for specialized postgraduate studies similar to what CCES has been off ering in Canberra (face-toface) and in all continents (online).