WCO and IAPH release updated guidelines on cooperation between Customs and ports

The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) have announced the release of the updated Guidelines on Cooperation between Customs and Port Authorities. Building on the success of the first edition launched in 2023 at the World Ports Conference, the new version strengthens public–private cooperation across the global maritime supply chain and introduces valuable contributions from the World Shipping Council (WSC).

The Guidelines serve as a practical tool to foster closer collaboration, better data sharing and enhanced risk management between Customs and port authorities. They are designed to help national governments, port authorities, Customs services and private sector stakeholders navigate the increasingly complex challenges of global trade.

The revised Guidelines provide governments, ports and Customs services with actionable best practices that balance trade facilitation with safety, security and sustainability. By expanding the scope to include shipping line perspectives, IAPH and WCO aim to further strengthen trust, cooperation and innovation across the global maritime community.

New input from the World Shipping Council

The updated Guidelines incorporate new contributions from the World Shipping Council (WSC), representing global liner shipping companies. WSC underscores the vital role of cooperation between shipping lines, Customs and port authorities to ensure secure, efficient maritime trade.

Key recommendations include establishing robust consultation mechanisms with port stakeholders when introducing new data or regulatory frameworks, ensuring that business realities are taken into account. Shipping lines emphasise the importance of timely, accurate data exchange—covering vessel, crew and cargo information—in alignment with international standards such as IMO FAL.14 (46).

Additionally, the new section recommends and supports the adoption of Single Window Environments to simplify and harmonise data submission, reducing duplication while enhancing security and compliance. The contribution also highlights the need for trusted public-private partnerships to tackle illicit trade, drawing on lessons from cross-border, multi-stakeholder global operations such as “Tin Can,” which resulted in 43 arrests and 158 drug seizures of approximately 100 tonnes of narcotics in 2022. Finally, WSC calls for clear international practices to address abandoned and uncleared containers, which pose both safety and security risks.

Through these inputs, WSC reinforces the importance of continuous dialogue and collaboration with authorities to improve trade facilitation, enhance risk management and strengthen the collective fight against illicit trafficking, emphasised a release.

Please visit our youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ikargos2719 for fortnightly logistics news analysis and more!