Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs has been considered as the fiscal subject that charges customs duties and other taxes on import and export. In recent decades, the views on the functions of customs have considerably expanded and now covers three basic issues: taxation, security, and trade facilitation.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The WCO works on customs-related matters including the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, supply chain security, international trade facilitation, customs enforcement activities, combating counterfeiting in support of intellectual property rights (IPR), illegal drug enforcement, combating counterfeiting of medicinal drugs, illegal weapons trading, integrity promotion, and delivering sustainable capacity building to assist with customs reforms and modernization. The WCO maintains the international Harmonized System (HS) goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.
This is a list of international trade topics.
Non-tariff barriers to trade are trade barriers that restrict imports or exports of goods or services through mechanisms other than the simple imposition of tariffs. Such barriers are subject to controversy and debate, as they may comply with international rules on trade yet serve protectionist purposes.
The Carnet de Passages en Douane is a customs document that identifies a traveller's motor vehicle or other valuable equipment or baggage. It is required in order to take a motor vehicle into a significant number of countries around the world. The CPD system is managed by the Federation Internationale de l'automobile, duly mandated by the World customs organization and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
The Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets is a multilateral treaty that was concluded at Geneva on 14 November 1975 to simplify and harmonise the administrative formalities of international road transport. The 1975 convention replaced the TIR Convention of 1959, which itself replaced the 1949 TIR Agreement between a number of European countries. The conventions were adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). As of December 2020, there are 77 parties to the Convention, including 76 states and the European Union.
In international trade, market access refers to a company's ability to enter a foreign market by selling its goods and services in another country. Market access is not the same as free trade, because market access is normally subject to conditions or requirements, whereas under ideal free trade conditions goods and services can circulate across borders without any barriers to trade. Expanding market access is therefore often a more achievable goal of trade negotiations than achieving free trade.
A Certificate of Origin or Declaration of Origin is a document widely used in international trade transactions which attests that the product listed therein has met certain criteria to be considered as originating in a particular country. A certificate of origin / declaration of origin is generally prepared and completed by the exporter or the manufacturer, and may be subject to official certification by an authorized third party. It is often submitted to a customs authority of the importing country to justify the product's eligibility for entry and/or its entitlement to preferential treatment. Guidelines for issuance of Certificates of Origin by chambers of commerce globally are issued by the International Chamber of Commerce.
Rules of origin are the rules to attribute a country of origin to a product in order to determine its "economic nationality". The need to establish rules of origin stems from the fact that the implementation of trade policy measures, such as tariffs, quotas, trade remedies, in various cases, depends on the country of origin of the product at hand.
The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is an independent business advocacy group that was founded in 1945 to promote free trade and help represent U.S. business in the then-new United Nations. One of its primary goals is expanding market access for U.S. products and services abroad. The organization is strongly in favor of open markets and sensible regulation.
The United States imposes tariffs on imports of goods. The duty is levied at the time of import and is paid by the importer of record. Customs duties vary by country of origin and product. Goods from many countries are exempt from duty under various trade agreements. Certain types of goods are exempt from duty regardless of source. Customs rules differ from other import restrictions. Failure to properly comply with customs rules can result in seizure of goods and criminal penalties against involved parties. The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces customs rules.
The Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Private Road Vehicles is a 1954 United Nations multilateral treaty. In states that adhere to the Convention, it allows individuals that are temporarily visiting a country—such as tourists or individuals on student visas—to import a road vehicle to the country duty-free.
The Customs Convention on Containers is a United Nations and International Maritime Organization treaty whereby states agree to allow intermodal containers to be temporarily brought into their states duty- and tax-free.
The Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation for Private Use of Aircraft and Pleasure Boats is a 1956 United Nations multilateral treaty. In states that adhere to the Convention, it allows individuals that are temporarily visiting a country—such as tourists—to import an aircraft or pleasure boat to the country duty free so long as the aircraft or boat will be used exclusively for private use.
The Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Commercial Road Vehicles is a 1956 United Nations multilateral treaty. In states that adhere to the Convention, it allows commercial road vehicles—such as taxis, buses, and semi-trailer trucks—to temporarily travel within the country duty free.
The Convention Concerning Customs Facilities for Touring is a 1954 United Nations multilateral treaty. In states that adhere to the Convention, it allows tourists to import personal effects into the country duty free so long as the effects are for the personal use of the tourist and they are carried on the person or in their luggage.
The International Convention to Facilitate the Importation of Commercial Samples and Advertising Material is a 1952 United Nations multilateral treaty. States that ratify the treaty agree to allow product samples and advertising material into the county duty-free.
A customs declaration is a form that lists the details of goods that are being imported or exported when a citizen or visitor enters a customs territory. Most countries require travellers to complete a customs declaration form when bringing notified goods across international borders. Posting items via international mail also requires the sending party to complete a customs declaration form.
The Customs Convention Regarding the E.C.S. Carnets for Commercial Samples, also known as the E.C.S. Convention, is a legal agreement between countries that allows for the temporary importation of commercial samples and advertising materials without the payment of customs duties. The convention was signed in Brussels in 1956. The initials E.C.S. stand for the combined English and French words: Echantillons Commerciaux — Commercial Samples. The first countries to sign this convention were West Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acted as the depositary of the convention.
