Trade facilitation and customs valuation
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Acknowledgements
This work was started under the direction of WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and was overseen by Deputy Director-General Anabel González and Yuvan Beejadhur Senior Adviser to the Director-General.
Tackling illicit trade in medical products
WTO rules support efforts to address the threat of illicit trade in medical products by promoting transparency and predictability and setting the foundation for strengthened border and regulatory controls and enhanced cooperation. This publication explores WTO tools and activities that can help WTO members develop and strengthen their trade policy responses to combat illicit trade in medical products.
Foreword
I have long been concerned by illicit trade. As Finance Minister in my home country Nigeria I witnessed how it harms societies and impedes economic growth and development. Although the full scale of illicit trade is often obscured by its clandestine nature there is little doubt about its impacts. Spurious products threaten people’s health as well as their livelihoods. Illicit trade undermines legitimate business activity abets corruption and acts as a drain on the revenue and resources governments need to address critical social and economic priorities. And when illicit traders join forces with corrupt officials and financiers the negative impacts are amplified. Illicit trade leaves no country developing or developed untouched.
Big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning
Around half of customs authorities use some combination of big data analytics AI and machine learning while the other half plans to do so in the future. The majority of respondents see clear benefits from the technology where risk management and profiling fraud detection and greater compliance are the most prevalent.
The Role of Advanced Technologies in Cross-border Trade
This publication is a collaboration between the WCO and the WTO to gain a better understanding of how the latest advanced technologies can help customs authorities to contribute to trade facilitation and to shed light on the opportunities and challenges customs authorities face when deploying blockchain the internet of things big data data analytics artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Conclusion
The survey shows a high level of interest and activity in the testing and implementation of the three areas of advanced technology in customs authorities worldwide. Over half of respondents report using IoT AI and machine learning while only Argentina and Uruguay are currently deploying blockchain.
Internet of things
Members are experimenting with the use of IoT to fully automate bordercrossings and customs procedures in national ports. Other projects have introduced centralized X-ray image analysis across multiple scanning stations and the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas or e-seals to ensure traceability of goods and means of transport.
Blockchain and distributed ledger technology
Blockchain and DLT are still in an experimental phase for many customs authorities with around a third testing it through proofs of concept (PoCs) and pilot projects using mainly permissioned (i.e. private) blockchains. Only Argentina and Uruguay report full deployment of this technology.
Survey questions posed to WCO members in 2021
The WCO and the WTO jointly designed questions on advanced technologies to enhance the 2021 WCO Annual Consolidated Survey (ACS) which was distributed to 183 WCO members to provide a snapshot of the level of implementation by customs authorities of advanced technologies. This annex contains the eighteen questions which formed chapter 4 of the 2021 ACS.