Customs
plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and facilitation of international
trade. The APEC Customs Community’s efforts on simplification and harmonization
of regional customs procedures has greatly contributed to the reduction of APEC
trade transaction costs and improvement in supply chain performance amongst APEC
economies. With the conclusion of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, the
reform of Customs procedures will be playing a more proactive and decisive role
in the course of attaining Bogor Goals by 2020, injecting fresh momentum into
the regional economic integration and trade facilitation.
APEC
leaders in 2013 vowed to take measures including promoting Single Window systems
to modernize Customs procedures in order to achieve the institutional
connectivity thus to reach a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and
integrated Asia Pacific. Accordingly, APEC 2013 Tasking Statement (for 2014)
has identified the priorities of APEC Customs as improving supply chain
connectivity and enhancing Customs procedures with emphasis on Single Window and
Authorized Economic Operator. Customs are also tasked to function in
people-to-people connection and wildlife trafficking.
To
this end, we instruct the senior officials, based on the initiative of “Mutual
Recognition of Control, Mutual Assistance of Enforcement and Mutual Sharing of
Information”, to promote APEC Customs cooperation in a systematic approach to
advance the following pressing tasks that are generally acknowledged by APEC
economies:
1.
Promoting Connectivity and Trade Facilitation
•
Implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade
Facilitation(ATF)
Short-term
objectives: to
update each other on the work done for the implementation of the ATF and share
experience in this regard.
Long-term
objectives: to
prepare for the review of the operation and implementation of the ATF which will
take place four(4) years after its entry into force, and to explore the
possibility of implementing non-binding or best endeavor provisions of the
ATF.
•
Single Window
Short-term
objectives: to
continue providing capacity building and technical support for member economies
to establish and improve their individual Single Window with the least delay
possible.
Long-term
objectives: to
realize interoperability of Single Window systems amongst APEC member
economies.
•
Customs Transit
Short-term
objectives: to
work on Chokepoint 8, and formulate the guidelines for APEC Customs transit to
address issues including lack of harmonization among APEC economies in granting
preferential treatment to goods through third-party
territories.
Long-term
objectives: to
carry out capacity building, implement Customs transit guidelines, conduct
regular evaluations, and set up uniform arrangements of origin certification for
transit goods so as to create a facilitated environment for Customs clearance
and more foreseeable transit rules for international trade operators, improving
the effectiveness and security of the supply chain.
2.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Capacity and Trade Order
•
IPR protection
Short-term
objectives: to
increase technical exchange and experience sharing among members, and improving
law enforcement capacity on IPR border protection for Customs of member
economies.
Long-term
objectives: to
set up a long-term mechanism for research and training on IPR border
protection.
3.
Conducting Closer Cooperation with the Private Sector to Enhance Trade
Security
•
Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)
Short-term
objectives: to
continue carrying out capacity building for the economies that have not
established the AEO program and further advancing the formulation of the minimum
standards for AEO enterprises, including the SMEs.
Long-term
objectives: to
continue the capacity building programs, promote AEO mutual recognition between
member economies, and work out the benefit list of the AEO MRA to further
facilitate the trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
•
Cross-border E-commerce
Short-term
objectives: to
increase the awareness of the risk control in the E-commerce in APEC Customs
community and promote the cooperation with the business community by elevating
the level of their information exchange on best practices.
Long-term
objectives: to
strengthen cooperation between APEC economies and the private sectors, to
encourage self-discipline and compliance from the private sectors, to establish
safe and efficient order on cross-border e-commerce so as to promote the economy
and trade development in APEC.
4.
Applying Technology to Enhance the Efficiency of the Customs
Control
•
Manifest Exchange between Land Border Customs
Short-term
objectives: to
encourage experience exchange between members that have carried out border
Customs cooperation.
Long-term
objectives: to
explore the possibility of manifest data exchange between land bordering Customs
in APEC region.
In
addition to the above-mentioned key tasks, we support to push forward other
ongoing projects including Trade Recovery, Time Release Study, etc. in order to
ensure that goods and services move efficiently, effectively and safely through
the region.
We
encourage APEC Customs to work closely with the private sector through the VWG
to progress the priorities addressed at the borders.