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What’s inside the parcel? Customs and the risks of illicit trade

Counterfeit goods, illicit medical products, protected plants and weapon components intersect with postal and express delivery networks. The WCO’s Illicit Trade Report 2025 shows...

The WCO Data Model at 30: Customs systems can connect. Do they understand each other?

Thirty years after the initiative that gave rise to the WCO Data Model, exchanging data is only part of the challenge. Border authorities also...

Digital Customs, Disconnected Borders: Why UN ESCAP’s New Trade Digitalization Index+ Matters

A new working paper by Yann Duval and Chorthip Utoktham of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN...

The WTO Public Forum 2026: What the global trade debate means for Customs

For three days in Geneva, the WTO Public Forum 2026 examined a trading system under pressure. Geopolitical tensions, regulatory fragmentation, digital dependence and recurring...