The WTO agreement on trade facilitation: Status of play in Southern African customs

Abstract

The September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York brought a paradigm shift to the focus of Customs. Following that event and the global terrorist threat, a number of customs control initiatives and instruments were developed and implemented. Included amongst those are the World Customs Organization's (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) concept, the advance cargo information requirement, the 24-hour Advance Manifest rule, use of non-intrusive inspection equipment and the United States Container Security Initiative (CSI). Some of these security measures, such as the AEO concept, were developed and implemented to maintain the balance between customs control and trade facilitation of legitimate goods. When it comes to trade facilitation, Customs always needs to consider its obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO). This paper gives an overview of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation signed in Bali in December 2013 and the current state of play in Southern African Customs.