3 – 5 June 2025, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam The 34th Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs (DGs) was held on 3 – 5 June 2025 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The Meeting was chaired by Mr. Azizil Hakim Brahim, Acting Controller of Customs, Royal Customs and Excise Department, Brunei Darussalam and attended by 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and the ASEAN Secretariat. We express concern over the recent introduction of unilateral tariffs by the U.S. This has caused uncertainty and will bring significant challenges to businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as … Continue reading JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT OF THE 34th MEETINGOF THE ASEAN DIRECTORS-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS

The ASEAN Secretariat, 17-18 June 2025 – The ASEAN Secretariat, with the support from the World Customs Organization Regional Office for Capacity Building for Asia/Pacific (ROCB-A/P), conducted the Regional Workshop on Product-Based Classification on 17-18 June 2025, via video conference. The workshop aimed to support ASEAN Customs officials in upskilling their tariff classification of textile products, metals (including iron and steel), and machinery products, thereby promoting the uniform implementation of the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) 2022. The workshop was facilitated by classification experts from the WCO Secretariat, Japan Customs, the Chairperson of the TSWGC, and a consultant to the … Continue reading Regional Workshop on Product-Based Classification (17-18 June 2025)

Hong Kong, 15 April 2025 – The Conference on Simplification of Procedures and Best Practices for E-Commerce was conducted on 15-17 April 2025 by Hong Kong Customs and supported by the Chapter on Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) of the ASEAN-Hong-Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA). The conference was opened by Mr. Chan Tsz Tat, CDSM, Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs, World Customs Organization (WCO) Vice- Chairperson for the A/P Region (APVC) and Mr. Cuong Ba Tran, the Assistant Director/Head of the Trade Facilitation Division of the ASEAN Secretariat. The conference exchanged views on potential innovation in cross-border e-commerce by … Continue reading Conference of Simplification of Procedures and Best Practices in E-Commerce (Hong Kong, 15-17 April 2025)

Yokohama, Japan, 5 November 2024 – The ASEAN Regional Workshop on Royalty Related Issues on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) with Japan Customs was conducted on 5 – 7 November 2024 in Yokohama, Japan with the support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The training would benefit Customs Administrations of all ASEAN Member States (AMS) in terms of increasing understanding of particular topics on PCA, such as royalties, licence fee, and transfer pricing from Customs perspectives. It would also contribute to raising the skills and knowledge of PCA administrators in examining the impact of tax evasion … Continue reading The ASEAN Regional Workshop on Royalty Related Issues on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) with Japan Customs, 5 – 7 November 2024, Yokohama, Japan

4 – 6 June 2024, Phu Quoc, Viet Nam The 33rd Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs (DGs) was held on 4 – 6 June 2024 in Phu Quoc, Viet Nam. The Meeting was chaired by Mr. Nguyen Van Can, Director-General of Viet Nam Customs Department, and attended by 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEAN Customs DGs reviewed the work and progress of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Customs (CCC), the Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation Working Group (CPTFWG), the Customs Enforcement and Compliance Working Group (CECWG), the Customs Capacity Building Working Group (CCBWG) … Continue reading JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT OF THE 33RD MEETING OF THE ASEAN DIRECTORS-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS

JAKARTA, 29 September 2023 – All 10 Customs Administrations of ASEAN Member States (AMS) signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of their respective Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programmes. The ASEAN AEO MRA (AAMRA) seeks to provide a predictable and transparent trading environment among AMS. AAMRA provides assurance that the certification standards that the AMS customs administrations apply within their respective AEO programmes are compatible and in accordance with the principles and standards of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework). Certified AMS AEOs will enjoy faster cargo clearance and priority treatment … Continue reading ASEAN Member States Sign Arrangement to Facilitate Trade Customs Clearance

The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Expert Mission and Symposium for ASEAN and Hong Kong, China was held in Hong Kong, China, on 29 – 30 November 2023 and attended by representatives from the ASEAN Member States, Customs administrations of Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao and members of the private sector in Hong Kong, China. The event was supported by the Work Programme of the Economic and Technical Cooperation under the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA). The symposium was opened by Mr. Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the latest economic … Continue reading Authorised Economic Operator Expert Mission and Symposium for ASEAN and Hong Kong, China, 29 – 30 November 2023

Kashiwa, Japan, 13 November 2023 –The Specialised Training Course on Customs Human Resource Development (HRD) for the ASEAN Customs Capacity Building Working Group (CCBWG) was conducted in Kashiwa, Japan on 13 – 17 November 2023 with support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The training will provide ASEAN customs officials with knowledge and skills on training policies, succession planning, career development, integrity in customs, and formulation of methodologies for training programmes. The training was officiated by Mr. Shigetoshi Aoyama, Managing Director of Japan Customs Training Institute (CTI). He highlighted the importance of this Specialised Training … Continue reading THE SPECIALISED TRAINING COURSE ON CUSTOMS HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (HRD), KASHIWA, JAPAN ON 13 – 17 NOVEMBER 2023