The World Customs Organization (WCO)’s secretary general, Kunio Mikuriya and his homolog at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Rebeca Grynspan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Oct. 4 that aims to improve supply chain digitalization and data sharing for global trade industries.
The MoU, which updates and strengthens the two organizations’ previous agreement from 2013, aims to support customs modernization by enabling interoperability between the UNCTAD’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) and various WCO projects, including the WCO’s Cargo Targeting System (CTS), National Customs Enforcement Network (nCeN) and Time Release Study (TRS). Currently, 77 WCO members are using ASYCUDA World as their integrated custom data management system. The two organizations agreed to collaborate further to accelerate harmonized supply chain digitalization through the implementation of international standards for data exchange. In addition, the initiative aims to provide consistency and predictability related to cross-border data requirements.
