WCO JICA Enhance Pacific Islands Customs Capacity

WCO JICA Enhance Pacific Islands Customs Capacity

The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) jointly launched the "Program for Master Trainers" (PMF) to help Pacific Island countries build localized teams of HS experts. The program progressively enhances the HS classification capabilities of participating countries through online workshops, expert support, and regional cooperation. The ultimate goal is to establish a regional platform for sharing expert resources, thereby promoting trade facilitation in the Pacific region.

Uzbekistan Streamlines Customs to Boost Trade Efficiency

Uzbekistan Streamlines Customs to Boost Trade Efficiency

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Uzbekistan, with the support of the World Customs Organization (WCO), conducted a strategic planning workshop aimed at enhancing customs strategic planning and performance measurement capabilities to develop a comprehensive customs strategic plan. The workshop emphasized the importance of strategic maps and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to promote trade facilitation, enhance national competitiveness, increase tax revenues, and combat smuggling and violations, ultimately improving Uzbekistan's international image.

Azerbaijan Adopts Nonintrusive Tech to Streamline Customs Trade

Azerbaijan Adopts Nonintrusive Tech to Streamline Customs Trade

Azerbaijan Customs, with support from the World Customs Organization and the Japan Customs Cooperation Fund, held a workshop on X-ray image analysis to enhance the application of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technologies. This initiative aims to improve customs clearance efficiency, combat smuggling, and promote trade facilitation through NII techniques. The experience provides valuable lessons for other customs administrations seeking to leverage technology for enhanced border security and streamlined trade processes.

Vietnam to Implement Major New Regulations in 2026

Vietnam to Implement Major New Regulations in 2026

Vietnam will implement a series of new regulations from February 2026, covering expanded occupational disease social insurance, standardized online advertising, strengthened gold market supervision, increased copyright protection, and simplified import/export procedures. These regulations aim to enhance labor rights, optimize user experience, maintain financial stability, protect intellectual property, and improve trade facilitation. This signifies a new stage of development for Vietnam in terms of economic development and social governance.

WCO Boosts Guyanas Postclearance Audit Capacity

WCO Boosts Guyanas Postclearance Audit Capacity

Under the Mercator Program, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a post-clearance audit (PCA) workshop for the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to enhance its tax compliance oversight capabilities. Through the training, Guyanese customs officers gained in-depth knowledge of PCA concepts and techniques, laying the groundwork for improved customs control efficiency and trade facilitation. The WCO looks forward to continued cooperation with the GRA to further advance its customs administration.

Guatemala Customs Adopts WCO Standards to Boost Trade Efficiency

Guatemala Customs Adopts WCO Standards to Boost Trade Efficiency

The WCO is assisting Guatemala in accelerating its accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), aiming to streamline customs procedures. An assessment indicates good progress, with the roadmap being maintained. RKC compliance is expected to enhance Guatemala's trade competitiveness and enable it to embrace global opportunities. This initiative focuses on trade facilitation and utilizes customs assistance to ensure successful RKC implementation, ultimately benefiting Guatemala's integration into the global trading system.

Moldova Adopts Revised Kyoto Convention to Boost Trade Efficiency

Moldova Adopts Revised Kyoto Convention to Boost Trade Efficiency

The Republic of Moldova has officially acceded to the Revised Kyoto Convention, becoming its 139th contracting party. This move will simplify customs procedures, reduce trade costs, and improve customs clearance efficiency, thereby enhancing international competitiveness. It will bring more convenient and efficient international trade environment for Moldovan enterprises and attract more foreign investment. The accession signifies Moldova's commitment to modernizing its customs practices and aligning with international standards for trade facilitation.

Africachina Trade Grows with Customs Collaboration

Africachina Trade Grows with Customs Collaboration

The WCO's Trade Facilitation Programme supports knowledge exchange between the South African Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service, focusing on post-clearance audit (PCA), Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), and risk management. Nigeria Customs aims to leverage South Africa's best practices to upgrade its AEO program, PCA processes, and risk management strategies. This initiative seeks to improve trade compliance, reduce costs for businesses, and ultimately contribute to economic growth in Nigeria.

Bolivia Customs Boosts Leadership with Executive Training

Bolivia Customs Boosts Leadership with Executive Training

Bolivia Customs, through its participation in the SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme, successfully held an executive leadership and management development workshop. This workshop aimed to enhance the leadership capabilities of the senior management team to address future strategic challenges. Through team building, individual leadership development, and negotiation skills training, the workshop significantly strengthened team cohesion and improved leadership skills, laying a solid foundation for the future development of Bolivia Customs.

Tanzania Boosts Customs Efficiency with WCO Training on HS Codes

Tanzania Boosts Customs Efficiency with WCO Training on HS Codes

With the support of the World Customs Organization, the Tanzania Revenue Authority has launched a capacity building project aimed at enhancing HS code and valuation capabilities. The project comprehensively improves Tanzania's customs management level through measures such as training of trainers, building risk assessment tools, strengthening government-enterprise cooperation, and laboratory construction. This initiative promotes trade facilitation and fair tax collection, injecting new impetus into the country's economic development.