WCO/WTO paper “The role of advanced technologies in cross-border trade: A customs perspective”

This paper is the result of collaboration between the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), and represents a piece of the puzzle towards gaining a better understanding of how Customs, as a key stakeholder in international trade, can further contribute to trade facilitation through the use of latest technologies. It is based on the results of WCO’s 2021 Annual Consolidated Survey and its Chapter 4 on disruptive technologies.

The paper provides insights on the state of play in the implementation by Customs of the following three technologies, alone and in combination with one another: 1. blockchain/distributed ledger technology; 2. internet of things; and 3. big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. It summarizes good practices and highlights challenges faced by Customs in leveraging these technologies.

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