International experts note that digital technologies have made it increasingly feasible for buyers and sellers to place and receive orders on a global scale. They also enable the instantaneous remote delivery of services directly into businesses and homes, including internationally.
UNCTAD mentions that measuring e-commerce is a prerequisite for understanding its economic role and contribution to GDP, employment, and development, as well as for evidence-based policymaking. Beyond total e-commerce, the distinction between domestic and cross-border e-commerce is important to understand to what extent e-commerce contributes to exports and imports. The UNCTAD Secretariat has received various enquiries from countries asking for guidance and support to measure the monetary value of e-commerce and digitally ordered trade.
Sergei Mozer
On November 21, the “Science Week 2023” of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Customs Academy began its work, which lasted from November 21 to 23. Science Week events are intended for scientists, specialists and officials of external organizations and institutions, customs authorities of the Russian Federation and include a plenary session and work of sections, which are organized using remote technologies on the on-line platform “Yandex Telemost ” .
17th October 2023, By Dilyana Gencheva, Bulgarian Customs
WCO News 102 – Issue 3 / 2023 > Dossier: Focus on the port environment
Bulgaria has been a fully-fledged Member State of the European Union (EU) since 1 January 2007 and exerts controls over one of the external maritime borders of the EU with the Black Sea, in accordance with EU Customs policies. The number of inbound and outbound container units going through its largest maritime port, the Port of Varna, has grown steadily over the past 10 years (see Figure 1) but represents a minor part of the flows of goods entering or leaving the European Union through its maritime borders. Most goods entering Bulgaria by sea are released for internal circulation or are in transit to neighbouring EU countries. Transboundary movements to non-EU countries and transshipment operations are an exception.
By Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General, Dubai Customs
Transforming trade: how Dubai Customs is harnessing AI for enhanced trade facilitation and border control (WCO News 102 – Issue 3 / 2023 > Panorama)
At a meeting of the Subcommittee on Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation, the Eurasian Economic Commission (Comission) and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, on the one hand, and the General Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), on the other, considered current issues of interaction. They discussed the development of digital (smart) customs and the introduction of advanced customs technologies, the “single window” mechanism, improving the institution of “authorized economic operator”, implementation of electronic document management during transit in the Union, as well as the implementation of the “Eurasian agroexpress “.
Sergei Mozer
On November 14, 2023, the “Export League” forum was held in Minsk, Republic of Belarus, which brought together more than 200 companies working for export, as well as representatives of government agencies and export support institutions. The event organizer is the National Marketing Center. On the agenda are current issues of developing foreign economic activity, searching for effective solutions to increase supplies abroad and promote exports.
The World Customs Organization with the support of the European Union under the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme has developed a Practical Guide to assist Customs Administrations and economic operators with the practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Annex 2 on Rules of Origin of the Protocol on Trade and its relevant appendices.
РУССКИЙ In a remarkable display of global collaboration and forward-thinking discourse, the 3rd WCO Global Origin Conference commenced its proceedings in Santiago, Chile on 8 November 2023, centred around the theme “Building Trust in the Origin Environment.” This conference, hosted…
The G7 Trade Ministers issued a Statement at a meeting in Osaka-Sakai on 29 October 2023, outlining various policies necessitating actions by Customs administrations. These areas include enhancing supply chain resilience, regulating e-commerce, and addressing the interplay between trade and environmental/climate change issues. The statement is available here.
