On 04 July 2022, the World Customs Organization (WCO) annunced that the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) had held a series of discussions on Customs-Railway Cooperation since 2017, covering key issues such as transit declarations, Advance Electronic Data (AED), cargo inspection using modern technologies, and passenger controls. Considering the previous discussions, the WCO launched the WCO Railway Project in 2019, with the support of the Customs Cooperation Fund of Korea (CCF Korea), to develop WCO tools focusing on railway transportation based on field studies and surveys, as well as through the conduct of necessary capacity-building activities.
Based on the findings and analysis from the Railway Project, including the discussions held under other WCO working bodies, the WCO online survey in 2019, the field studies conducted in 2019 and the WCO Global Railway Workshop held in 2020, the WCO has developed the draft Railway Guidance.
With discussions and development at the PTC, the Council in June approved the WCO Railway Guidance, which aims: to promote Customs procedures in railway transportation; to simplify and harmonise Customs regulations and procedures applicable to railway transportation; to encourage the use of advanced technologies; and, to strengthen Customs to Customs and Customs to Business cooperation, etc.
According to the Railway Project, in terms of capacity-building activities, six regional railway workshops are to be conducted to enhance implementation of simplified and improved Customs procedures by the third Quarter of 2023.
The WCO Railway Guidance will be updated periodically, to reflect recent developments and experience from Members.