World Customs Organization holds inaugural E-Commerce Working Group
From September 21st to 23rd 2016, the World Customs Organization (WCO) held its 1st E-Commerce Working Group at their headquarters in Brussels.
FIATA and TIACA attended together with some 170 delegates representing all players in the transport chain as well as various national and international organizations from customs, postal and express services, to e-vendors, e-commerce platforms, and online payment providers. The goal was to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the growing e-commerce and especially the phenomenal rise in cross-border, low-value business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) shipments.
Presentations and discussions focused on trade facilitation, safety and security controls as well as financial aspects. Customs administrations addressed the legal and regulatory framework, advance electronic data for postal items to enable risk assessment and better fraud detection, along with an appropriate import clearance system for E-Commerce shipments. New revenue collection models relative to the de minimis threshold were disussed. Further topics included the illegal use of the Internet via the dark net.
The need for considerable investments by customs authorities in new technology and more cooperation with other regulatory agencies was highlighted. Particularly pressing are the harmonization in processes for clearing low-value shipments, the digitalization of processes, and innovative solutions to better capture information from importers and e-commerce intermediaries to enable better risk assessment.
