From October 28 to November 1, 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO) held the first domestic study mission under the Smart Customs Project in China, focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
Supported by the Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF China), this mission gathered officials from key departments including Risk Management, Science and Technology, Port Control, and International Cooperation in the headquarters, alongside the representatives from National Targeting Centers in Shanghai, Qingdao, and Huangpu, and officials from regional and local Customs offices.
In the opening session, Lin Wei, Director General of the Department of Risk Management, highlighted the transformative role of digitalization and intelligent Customs systems in enhancing Customs performance and the security and efficiency of global trade.
Leadership's active engagement and the level of participation in the mission underscored the strong commitment driving advancements in AI and ML implementation in China Customs.
Discussions addressed the technological prerequisites, policy frameworks, use case scenarios, cost assessments, and strategies for organizational readiness and change management to integrate these technologies seamlessly into Customs practices.
On-site visits in Huangpu and Guangzhou Districts explored key use cases, including the Tianji Knowledge Graph System, to identify high-risk enterprises through a visualization of relationship networks, Smart NII Image Analysis, Intelligent Document Examination, Smart Port Development and AI Applications in the Single Window Environment.
Discussions also highlighted the tangible benefits of AI integration, such as greater risk management accuracy, reduced repetitive workloads, enhanced operational coverage, accelerated clearance times, and improved consistency in decision-making. Achieving these benefits, however, requires ongoing investments in specialized expertise, advanced computational resources, robust data analytics infrastructure, and well-defined policies.
The mission stressed the need for a solid IT infrastructure while fostering innovative thinking creativity across all organizational tiers. Additionally, stakeholder engagement and proactive communication on AI's advantages were identified as strategic components of the Smart Customs vision, which emphasizes the role of partnership for "Smart Customs, Smart Borders, and Smart Connectivity."
A human-in-the-loop approach was also emphasized, which integrates human oversight within AI processes to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
Furthermore, the mission acknowledged the synergistic potential of AI with other cutting-edge technologies like geospatial mapping, cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT), which together amplify benefits when aligned with strategic IT objectives.
In the closing session, Gao Fengrong, Director of the Big Data Division of the Risk Management Department, reaffirmed China Customs' commitment to fostering international collaboration and harnessing disruptive technologies to bridge digital divides and to strengthen global trade facilitation.
A detailed case study on the implementation of AI and ML by China Customs, based on the mission's findings, will be released on the soon-to-be-launched Smart Customs Community Portal and will contribute to updating the existing Study Report on Disruptive Technologies.
For more information on the Smart Customs Project, please visit the WCO website or contact us at: smartcustoms@wcoomd.org