APEC forging ahead with customs plan<\/p>\n
OSAKA, Japan (JP): APEC's finance ministers have been quietly
\nmaking significant progress in standardizing and accelerating
\ncustoms procedures among the 18 member countries, while their
\ntrade and foreign ministers are still embroiled in trade
\nliberalization measures.<\/p>\n
Officials of the Japanese finance ministry said yesterday that
\nthe leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
\nare expected to endorse nine points to implement the common
\naction plan on customs procedures in their meeting next Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"Customs procedures may be technical but they are important to
\nthe business community,\" a senior official of the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The nine-point plan is classified into three categories:
\nimprovement of transparency and credibility of customs
\noperations; harmonization of customs procedures; and rapid
\ncustoms clearance.<\/p>\n
The points are the result of three Apec finance ministers
\nmeetings held over the past three years, as well as a number of
\nsymposiums on customs procedures.<\/p>\n
The Japanese officials pointed out that while the points may
\nsound technical and do not generate headlines, their benefits to
\nthe business community are tangible.<\/p>\n
The points include the avoidance of confusion and additional
\ncosts caused by differences in customs procedures among APEC's 18
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
\"There will be less paper work,\" the official said, citing an
\nAustralian study which found that the cost of paper work
\nconstitutes as much as 10 percent of the free on board price.<\/p>\n
The points will also lead to speedier and more timely delivery
\nof cargo, which will also reduce the warehousing cost in
\ntransportation and production process, they said.<\/p>\n
On harmonization of customs procedures, the common action plan
\ncalls for the adoption of the HS Convention on harmonization of
\ncommodity tariff classification.<\/p>\n
This would, for example, avoid the differences in definition
\nover whether a four-wheel drive vehicle constitutes a car or a
\ntruck, the officials said.<\/p>\n
The adoption of the valuation agreement, as laid out by the
\nWorld Trade Organization, will also ensure that every customs
\nagency in the region uses the same standard valuation system.<\/p>\n
On transparency, the APEC finance ministers are proposing the
\npublication of customs related laws and regulations and
\nadministrative guidelines, the introduction of clear appeal
\nprovisions and the adoption of the World Trade Organization's
\ntrade related investment principles.<\/p>\n
On the acceleration of customs procedures, the plan includes a
\ncall for the computerization of customs procedures and the
\nintroduction of an advance tariff classification ruling system.<\/p>\n
According to the Japanese officials, the finance ministers are
\nalready looking ahead to a number of future plans.<\/p>\n
Two already on the drawing board, they said, are risk
\nmanagement and electronic commerce, and common data elements.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/apec-forging-ahead-with-customs-plan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}