Overview

ASEAN promotes trade facilitation through customs cooperation.  The specific areas of cooperation include harmonization of tariff nomenclature, customs procedures and formalities to expedite customs clearance; implementation of customs valuation in line with the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement; implementation of post-clearance audit; establishment of customs automation toward e-customs; customs reform and modernization; and provision of technical assistance to Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

A customs survey on six key areas of customs clearance has been completed. Progress has been achieved in putting into use modern customs techniques, particularly those set forth in the Revised Kyoto Convention on simplification and harmonization of procedures and practices.  As a result, time required for the release of goods and commodities has been reduced to between one and six hours varying from one country to another.

Preparations for the accession of ASEAN Member Countries to the Revised Kyoto Convention are underway. The first exercise to identify the level of compatibility of ASEAN customs legislations with standards and recommended practices of the Revised Kyoto Convention was undertaken in November 2002.

Post-clearance audit technique has now been applied by most ASEAN Member Countries to expedite customs clearance and to safeguard revenue collection.  The Second ASEAN Training Course on Post Clearance Audit was held in February 2003.  The preparation of the ASEAN PCA guidelines and blueprints is expected to be completed in June 2003.

The Electronic Index of ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) for reference and data processing has been completed.  The First ASEAN e-Customs Conference was held in August 2002 to promote customs automation.  While working on an ASEAN Customs Valuation Guidelines, some ASEAN Member Countries have started implementing the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement.