Customs organisations implement government policies that help to facilitate trade at the border. In an era of trade globalisation, it is important that trade is secured in an internationally consistent manner and that customs rules and procedures are kept to a minimum to reduce trade transaction costs.
The APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) was established in 1994. Its main objectives are to simplify and harmonise regional customs procedures to ensure that goods and services move efficiently, effectively and safely through the region, and to reconcile and facilitate border control.
Single Window
In 2007 the SCCP adopted the
Working towards the Implementation of Single Window within APEC Economies: Single Window Development Report
and the
APEC SCCP Single Window Strategic Plan
. The Development Report delivered a comprehensive snapshot of the border regulatory environment and single window related activities in the APEC region. The Strategic Plan provided a framework for the development of single window systems in the APEC region.
After three years of work on this initiative (2007-2009), the SCCP endorsed the
Single Window Implementation Guide
in August 2009. This guide was delivered by the Single Window Working Group with the assistance of public and private sector stakeholders. Its purpose is to assist economies in the design, building and implementation of a single window system. It provides a comprehensive list of single window related components and elements, with supporting information. It also provides links to available standards which promote a common understanding of what an international trade single window is and what it can deliver. Economies using the guide will reduce the time and labour cost usually spent on research during the design and implementation phases.
In 2010 the SCCP conducted a review of the extent of
implementation of single window initiatives
in each member economy. This review has revealed that 13 of 21 APEC economies have developed single window systems and 5 economies have single windows systems currently under development; each economy has actively used international standards such as the UN/EDIFACT and WCO Data Model in developing its single window system which will aid in the seamless data sharing between single window systems.
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)
In September 2009 the SCCP established an AEO Working Group to address the development of AEO programmes and tackle the divergent array of existing AEO programmes. The objective of the AEO Working Group is two-fold: 1. Work towards the establishment of AEO programs, of equal caliber, within each of the APEC economies, and 2. Encourage mutual recognition arrangements of AEO programs amongst interested economies within the Asia-Pacific region.
Under phase one of its Action Plan, in September 2010 the AEO Working Group produced an “
Authorized Economic Operator Program Compendium
”
to assist in developing an AEO program by each APEC economy . Phase two activities of the Working Group will focus on Development of an AEO Best practices guideline with elements of AEO programs divided elements that are suitable for harmonization amongst economies and those that are not suitable for harmonization. The final stage of activities under the AEO Action Plan will be
capacity building.
Trade Facilitation
The SCCP is working with the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) on a new action plan,
the Supply-Chain (SC) Connectivity Framework
. Under the framework, eight chokepoints have been identified as impediments to trade in the APEC region; four of these are issues of concern to the SCCP:
-
Chokepoint 1: Lack of transparency/awareness of the full scope of regulatory issues affecting logistics; lack of awareness and coordination among government agencies on policies affecting logistics sector; absence of single contact point or champion agency on logistics matters
-
Chokepoint 4: Inefficient clearance of goods at customs; lack of coordination among border agencies, especially relating to clearance of regulated goods at border
-
Chokepoint 5: Burdensome customs documentation and other procedures, including for preferential trade
-
Chokepoint 8: Lack of regional cross-border customs-transit arrangements
The SCCP has agreed to work collaboratively with the CTI by undertaking a series of actions under the
SCI Action Plans
which have been developed to alleviate the negative impacts of these chokepoints on supply chains. The SCCP actions include work in the areas of Single Window development, Advance Rulings, Immediate Release of Consignments by Customs, Time Release Surveys, and implementation of the revised Kyoto convention.
Trade Facilitation Action Plan
The SCCP played an important role in the APEC Trade Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP) which was adopted by APEC in 2002. The TFAP's goal of achieving a reduction in trade transaction costs by five percent across the APEC region between 2002 and 2006 has been realised.
APEC's
Second Trade Facilitation Action Plan
(TFAP 2) was adopted in 2007 and is now nearing completion. Its goal is a further reduction in trade transaction costs by five percent in the period 2007-2010. The SCCP is working on its implementation and on the measurement of its success with the
Committee on Trade and Investment
(CTI).
Customs Business Dialogue
The SCCP held its annual APEC Customs-Business Dialogue (ACBD) in Tokyo, Japan on 13 September 2010. The objective of the ACBD is to foster understanding and cooperation between customs authorities and the business sector in the APEC region in order to facilitate trade. The 2010 Dialogue focused on: Customs and Business Cooperation to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade; Trade Facilitation through Utilization of ICT and Modern Technology; and, Customs and Business Cooperation for Enhancement of Border Enforcement on IPR.
APEC Customs Directors-General/Commissioners Meeting
The year 2010 is a milestone for APEC in a sense that it is when the industrialized economies committed themselves to achieve the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment. Baring this into mind, APEC Customs Directors- General /Commissioners Meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan on 14 September following the ACBD to evaluate 15-years-of-works of the SCCP comprehensively and discuss direction on future activities of the APEC Customs administrations at a higher level. Through the intensive discussions by the head of APEC Customs, eight priorities to be promoted through the SCCP activities were agreed and publicized as the statement of the Chair.
The SCCP held its first meeting of 2012 in February in Moscow, the Russian Federation.
Key outcomes of the meeting include:
Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework
- The United States provided updates on the CTI-level initiatives under the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework that have a nexus to customs, namely the US proposal to advance the Action Plan for Chokepoint 1 (i.e. Lack of transparency/awareness of full scope of regulatory issues affecting logistics; Lack of awareness and coordination among government agencies on policies affecting logistics sector; Absence of single contact point or champion agency on logistics matters) and the US proposal for a De Minimis Capacity Building program.
Single Window
- Japan announced its intention to hold a second Regional Workshop on Single Window in 2012. Chinese Taipei, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, as well as Malaysia supported the new Workshop and in the case, Peru offered speakers for this Workshop.
- Chinese Taipei and Japan introduced the work of the Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG), and hoped further collaboration on developing Single Window.
Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)
- The United States showed its willingness to explore holding a workshop in collaboration with World Customs Organization and multilateral development banks to implement the AEO Action Plan, including the Capacity Building Framework.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
- Japan proposed a new Collective Action Plan (CAP) item on IPR border enforcement. Japan showed its intention to hold a workshop or a seminar, or to conduct a case study for the purpose of capacity building and the new CAP.
- The SCCP approved the Japan's proposal for a new CAP item on IPR border enforcement.
- The United States noted an interest within the SCCP economies to pursue additional enforcement activities within APEC, including conducting additional enforcement operations within APEC. The United States mentioned that based on the success of the previous enforcement operations within APEC, the US is developing a proposal for additional enforcement activities and plans to distribute the proposal intersessionally or at the next SCCP Meeting.
Trade Recovery
- The SCCP approved to support the proposal on APEC Trade Recovery Communication System and continue to discuss intersessionally and decide in the next SCCP meeting who would participate in the virtual management group from the SCCP.
Cross-Fora Collaboration
- The United States provided an update on the following cross-fora collaborative efforts between the SCCP and (1) the Business Mobility Group (BMG) and (2) the Counterterrorism Task Force (CTTF):
- Results of the joint activity with the BMG regarding interagency collaboration at the border, specifically the development of a joint tool to guide interagency border management: Canada supported the development of the tool and offered to make a presentation on the key concepts of coordinated border management at the next SCCP meeting.
- Collaboration with CTTF and other fora on the APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative and the APEC Counterterrorism Secure Trade Strategy.
Customs-Business Partnership
- The SCCP endorsed the US proposal to establish a virtual Customs-Business working group.
- The SCCP Chair proposed to hold a Customs – Business Dialogue at the margins of the second APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in May 2012 in Kazan, Russia.
Brendan C. O’HEARN (Mr)
Chair
Department of Homeland Security
USA
Email:
Mikiharu SHIMIZU (Mr)
Program Director
APEC Secretariat
Email: