On 13 November the World Customs Organization (WCO) announced that its Cargo Targeting System (WCO CTS) had completed an important phase in its ongoing development with the release of a new upgraded version of the system.
Over the past 3 years, with the support of the United States Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, the WCO has continuously improved the WCO CTS application culminating in the release of this latest enhanced version. At the same time the WCO has completed WCO CTS deployments to Maldives, Sri Lanka and Philippines, provided additional assistance to WCO CTS deployments in Chile, Georgia, Jamaica, Kenya and Ukraine and rolled out air cargo targeting capability to all user countries.
All countries will now be upgraded to the latest version of the WCO CTS which will ensure the highest levels of performance and security are maintained into the future. The most obvious change will be the introduction of a new user interface which gives the system a fresh new look and builds on its core values of effectiveness, ease of use and sustainability.
The WCO CTS is a cargo manifest risk assessment and targeting solution developed by the WCO for Customs administrations across the globe. It allows those adopting the solution to implement international best practice cargo risk assessment and targeting including key pillars of the WCO’s SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. The WCO CTS has already been successfully implemented by many Customs Administrations in countries that vary widely in their size, level of economic development and cargo volumes.
Story by: Riaan de Lange