The World Customs Organization says its multi-stakeholder Working Group on E-Commerce (WGEC) is now concentrating on four major work packages in relation to e-commerce and to plans to update WCO efforts and thrusts to keep up with new issues and developments in online cross-border trade.

The WGEC is currently focused on four identified work packages—trade facilitation and simplification of procedures, safety and security, revenue collection, and measurement and analysis—with a view to developing recommendations, guidelines, and framework on cross-border e-commerce as well as enhancing and updating related WCO instruments and tools.

The organization said the work packages are part of the WGEC’s continued work on cross-border e-commerce that seeks to address the challenges and needs of various stakeholders in the e-commerce chain when it comes to cross-border business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) transactions and shipments.

WCO also disclosed that, relatedly, it has launched an e-commerce web-corner on its website that will act as a single reference point for e-commerce information, including the progress of the WGEC’s initiatives.

WCO said its other activities as part of the e-commerce program include the recent publication of the “Study Report on E-Commerce,” which analyzes customs administrations’ practices and initiatives in processing cross-border low-value e-commerce to address some of the challenges stemming from the growing low-value and small shipments.

Moreover, the WCO has begun publishing a series of articles on different facets of e-commerce. The first in this series is an article written by the WCO director of compliance and facilitation that brings out some of the underlying issues both from a customs perspective as well as a consumer perspective.

And at the upcoming sessions of the WCO Permanent Technical Committee to be held from April 3 to April 7, 2017, a special session on e-commerce will further explore this topic through four thematic workshops on April 5, 2017.

Photo: Servizi Multimediali

You May Also Like

PortCalls Sept 15, 2025

Our latest stories (September 15, 2025): • Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway advances, study to begin…

BOC sets up Balikbayan Action Center

The Bureau of Customs recently set up the Balikbayan Action Center to…
MCIA cargo up 23.6% in Jan-July 2025

MCIA cargo up 23.6% in Jan-July 2025

Cargoes handled at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) soared 23.6% in the first…
PCCBI objects to BOC order on preliminary suspension order on brokers, importers

PCCBI objects to BOC order on preliminary suspension order on brokers, importers

The Philippine Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. strongly opposes the Bureau of…