Brussels, 03 September 2015

The WCO Secretariat received a Delegation from China Customs for a study visit on Trade Facilitation with a specific focus on Coordinated Border Management (CBM) and Single Window. The Delegation was welcomed by Mr. Gaozhang Zhu, Director of Compliance and Facilitation, and listened to presentations and actively discussed the WCO’s support to its Member Administrations in the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), as well as several technical topics, including Coordinated Border Management (CBM), Single Window and the WCO Data Model.

Ms. Heike Barczyk, Deputy Director Compliance and Facilitation, introduced the delegation to several strategic perspectives, including the WCO Strategic Plan and the WCO Mercator Programme in support of WTO TFA implementation by Members and their reform and modernization programmes overall. A number of WCO experts presented on Coordinated Border Management and on both, conceptual and technical aspects of the establishment of a National Single Window Environment.

The study visit was aimed at supporting China Customs’ planning and work towards the roll-out of a national Single Window in the nearer future, and at enabling China Customs to increase its awareness of respective approaches. The study visit further supported China Customs in their understanding of CBM in light of the WTO TFA, so that it can base their national reviews and further planning processes related to CBM and Single Window on existing international tools, policies and practices.