The APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP), which reports to the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI), was established in 1994 as a forum to fulfil the commitments of APEC Leaders and Ministers relating to customs matters. The SCCP’s goals are focused on trade facilitation, trade security and related enforcement matters, taking into account the responsibility of each customs administration for the effective implementation of legitimate border measures. The goals, structure and administration of the SCCP are laid out in its terms of reference.

The sub-committee has adopted “facilitation, accountability, consistency, transparency and simplification” as its basic guiding principles.

The SCCP will identify and pursue:

• Actions for regional enhancement of harmonized and simplified customs procedures
• Actions on enforcement matters related to trade facilitation
• Joint actions and linkages with other government agencies and business/private sector organizations related to trade facilitation
• Actions which contribute to the common development of customs human resources
• Actions which foster an IT-friendly environment in customs procedures including paperless trading initiatives such as single window within individual economies
• Actions which promote the security of the global supply chain and promote trade facilitation

The SCCP also addresses customs chokepoints or bottlenecks as listed in the APEC Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan Phase II (SCFAP II 2017-2022), and in alignment with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the Boracay Action Agenda to Globalize MSMEs in the Asia Pacific Region.  

These are examples of initiatives and outcomes the SCCP has carried over the past 20 years:

• Single Window Strategic Plan (2007)
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Enforcement Strategies (2006)
• APEC Guidelines for Customs Border Enforcement, Counterfeiting and Piracy endorsed to strengthen IPR enforcement at borders
• Action Plan on the Development of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programs
• AEO Compendium (2010) for all APEC Economies to help members establish AEO programs and mutual recognition

The SCCP’s efforts over the past two decades have contributed greatly to the two-time 5 percent reductions of APEC trade transaction costs and have played a fundamental role in the 10 percent improvement in supply chain performance among APEC economies in 2015.

These efforts will contribute to contribute in the development of a fair, transparent and dynamic economic and trading environment in the Asia-Pacific region.

The SCCP has three guests (with 3-year terms) that participate at its official meetings:

• Colombia
• World Customs Organization (WCO)
• Oceania Customs Organization (OCO)

The SCCP holds two annual plenary meetings on the margins of the first and third Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM1 and SOM3).

This year, the SCCP1 Plenary Meeting was held on 8–9 February 2020 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The SCCP Chair for 2020 is Mr. Abdull Wahid Sulong, Director of Customs Corporate Planning Division of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.

These are the group’s latest events and/or initiatives:

• APEC Customs Business Dialogue on “Cross Border E-commerce and Custom regulatory challenges” (17 August 2019)
• Workshop on “Integrating SMEs in AEO Certification: improving SMEs participation in APEC Secure Trade” (16 August 2019)
• Policy Dialogue on “The Future of Trade and Implications for the Border” (6-7 February 2020)

Key Deliverables 2019:

• Updated APEC Customs Transit Guidelines
• Customs Strategic Framework on Building Connectivity: 3M plus 3S Initiative
• APEC SCCP Compendium for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Enforcement

Upcoming Events 2020:

• SCCP 2 Plenary Meeting, August 2020 (Penang, Malaysia)
• Second Workshop – APEC Project “Integrating SMEs in AEO Certification: improving SMEs participation in APEC Secure Trade” (October 2020, Taipei)
• APEC Customs Business Dialogue on “Digital Customs: Facilitating Cross Border Trade”

Relevant Documents:

• APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) Policy Brief on “Customs to Customs Cooperation in APEC: strengthening Regional Cooperation” (2019)
• APEC PSU Policy Brief on “Trade Facilitation in APEC: Progress and Impact” (2019)
• APEC PSU Single Window Study on “Single Window Systems' International Interoperability: Key Issues for Its Implementation” (August 2018)
• APEC PSU Study of “APEC Best Practices in Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programs” (May 2016)
• “AEO in APEC Economies: Opportunities to expand Mutual Recognition Agreements and the inclusion of SMEs” Study Report 2019 (prepared in the context of the APEC Project SCCP 01 2019A)
• “The Future of Trade and Border Management – to 2030” (prepared in the context of the APEC Self-Funded Project SCCP 01 2019S)