The Director General of Brazil Customs, Mr. Ernani Checcucci Filho, and the Director General of Uruguay Customs, Mr. Enrique Canon, signed a Pilot Project in the context of a Customs Supply Chain Security Programme at Uruguay’s Ministry of Economy and Finance in Montevideo on 17 July 2014. The WCO Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, participated in the signing ceremony.

This Pilot Project between the two countries will ensure that the bilateral supply chain is secured and facilitated for certified compliant traders, in line with the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards. This initiative responds to the two countries’ high-level agenda to facilitate and increase intra-regional trade aimed at expanding trade up to the MERCOSUR level. Initially, the two countries will start jointly certifying compliant exporters, transporters and Customs brokers at both ends of the bilateral supply chain. Goods dealt with by certified operators will be inspected at points of export and cleared at points of import without further import inspection.

Secretary General Mikuriya applauded this bilateral undertaking as a contribution to supply chain security and facilitation of trade in goods, starting at the bilateral level and extending to the regional and global levels.

Later in the afternoon, Secretary General Mikuriya met with young officers from Uruguay Customs to discuss the global trends in Customs modernization.