The World Customs Organization (WCO), in cooperation with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority of Saudi Arabia (ZATCA), successfully delivered a Regional Workshop on the Time Release Study (TRS) for Customs administrations in the WCO Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. The Workshop was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 12 to 16 March 2023.

More than 20 Customs officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia attended the Workshop, together with other stakeholders representing the private sector in Saudi Arabia.

The topics covered during the Workshop included the WCO Trade Facilitation agenda, key aspects of the WCO TRS methodology, Members’ experiences in conducting a TRS, and the context that motivates countries to conduct a TRS at the national, regional or international level. Participants were briefed on the four phases of the TRS, i.e., planning, data collection, data analysis and reporting.

Workshop participants also had the opportunity to visit the Saudi Arabia Logistics (SAL) premises at King Khalid International Airport, in order to gain a better understanding of the different processes carried out by stakeholders involved in cargo clearance. Participants also received training on the use of the TRS software, including how to develop questionnaires, data entry, and data analysis. Additionally, they were given training on how to concatenate data from various sources into a master data sheet for subsequent uploading into the WCO TRS software.

The Workshop was a successful initiative for promoting trade facilitation in the region. It helped participants understand the TRS process and how it can be implemented to improve Customs procedures. Participants also appreciated the opportunity to share experiences and best practices with their peers from other countries in the region.

For more information on TRS, please contact the WCO Secretariat at TRS@wcoomd.org