The 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Customs Directors-General Meeting took place on Tuesday in Phú Quốc City, Kiên Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Customs Directors-General Meeting, with an agenda covering 12 items, will determine the direction of customs cooperation in the near future.

Notably, it will approve the Strategic Plan of Customs Development for the period 2026-2030 (SPCD).

General Director of the Vietnam Customs Nguyễn Văn Cẩn spoke on Tuesdayat the opening ceremony of the two and half day long meeting in Phú Quốc City, Kiên Giang Province.

As the most significant annual event in ASEAN customs cooperation, the 33rd ASEAN Customs Directors-General Meeting saw the participation of around 100 delegates from leadership teams of the customs agencies of the ten ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, and ASEAN partners including customs agencies from China, Japan, South Korea, the Australian Border Force, the World Customs Organization (WCO), the US-ASEAN Business Council, the EU-ASEAN Business Council and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

Cẩn noted that, based on recent custom development trends within the WCO and other international organisations, as well as ASEAN regional customs initiatives and recommendations from the private sector, new elements such as digitalisation, customs automation, the circular economy, carbon neutrality and sustainability would be incorporated into the new cycle of the SPCD.

The meeting would also decide the direction for further implementing the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature, the ASEAN Single Window, the ASEAN Customs Transit System, the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) within ASEAN and cooperative initiatives to combat smuggling and trade fraud across ASEAN.

These action programmes and strategic plans for customs development are aimed at gradually realising the objectives of the ASEAN Free Trade Area for the free movement of goods within ASEAN and promoting trade between ASEAN and its partners.

Specifically, the ASEAN Customs Directors-General reviewed the work and progress of the ASEAN Customs Coordinating Committee (CCC), the Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation Working Group (CPTFWG), the Customs Enforcement and Compliance Working Group (CECWG), the Capacity Building Working Group (CCBWG) and the ASEAN Single Window Steering Committee.

The meeting also updated recent progress in ASEAN customs integration, including the signing of the ASEAN Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangement (AAMRA) in line with the principles and standards of the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards. It welcomed the positive advancements by six member countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore in implementing the AAMRA pilot program.

The meeting welcomed Myanmar as the seventh member to join the ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS) and its formal participation in ACTS operations effective from March 1, 2024.

Through the meeting, ASEAN customs encouraged all member countries to enhance awareness and public participation to attract more businesses to use the ACTS.

The meeting noted that four member countries, including Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Việt Nam, are participating in the Authorised Transit Trader (ATT) programme and expressed the desire for the remaining member countries to establish the ATT as soon as possible to further facilitate businesses using the ACTS.

The delegates acknowledged the completion of the survey results on the Luxor Resolution on Cross-Border E-Commerce, which assessed the implementation level of the principles stated in the Luxor Resolution, identified gaps among ASEAN member countries in e-commerce and formulated recommendations to bridge those gaps.

The meeting welcomed the first Joint Customs Control (JCC) operation conducted online in December 2023, involving all 10 ASEAN member countries, focusing on addressing the illicit trade of tobacco products in ASEAN.

It encouraged ASEAN member countries to continue joint control activities to combat smuggling and trade fraud in the region.

The meeting adopted the guidelines on effective performance management of ASEAN customs and the guidelines on best practices in implementing knowledge management. These documents serve as reference materials for ASEAN customs to apply management principles, best practices for efficient work, lessons learned to improve the effectiveness of ASEAN customs officials and optimise resources in knowledge management.

The implementation of the study on the next-generation ASEAN Single Window (ASW), which is considered a priority during Laos' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, was also a focus.

Besides discussing customs cooperation, the consultation mechanism with dialogue partners and the private sector has become an integral part of the annual agenda at the ASEAN Customs Directors-General Meeting.

During these consultations, ASEAN customs and their dialogue partners exchanged best practices in customs management and trade facilitation while seeking cooperation opportunities, particularly in emerging areas related to sustainability, green customs, cross-border e-commerce, AEO MRAs, combating illegal trade, controlling plastic waste and the circulation of circular economy products.

As the chair of ASEAN Customs for the 2024-2025 term, Vietnam Customs said it would strive to coordinate and promote the timely implementation of the SPCD.

It would actively collaborate with the ASEAN Secretariat to consult with partners and seek appropriate resources to implement ASEAN customs initiatives and cooperation programs.

At the meeting, Vietnam Customs proactively proposed initiatives on green customs and enhancing connectivity and information sharing on customs control for ASEAN customs to consider implementing them in the next phase. — VNS