G/TFA/W/25  
 
1 October  2020 
(20-6678) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
 
SUPPORTING THE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT RELEASE OF GLOBAL GOODS THROUGH 
ACCELERATED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED STATES, BRAZIL  AND COLOMBIA  
The following communication, received 30 September 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of the United States, Brazil and Colombia  for Members' information.  
 
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1. Communication, cooperation, and automation are three essen tial elements to ensure the 
functioning of modern border operations. The WTO is not the forum for providing the health solutions 
to COVID -19, but it is the forum for providing the roadmap for countries to access and trade medical 
and health supplies and eq uipment across borders. The COVID -19 pandemic is a global issue that 
requires a global response. Cross -border trade is a critical channel for getting essential products to 
those who need them. As WTO Members, we are called to demonstrate leadership by comm itting to 
ensure the smooth and continuous trade in goods.  
2. To this end, we urge all WTO Members to accelerate implementation of the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The TFA provides predictability, simplicity, and uniformity in customs 
and other bor der procedures. Ongoing implementation of the TFA is already resulting in greater 
customs efficiency, more effective revenue collection, and better access for Micro, Small, and 
Medium Enterprises (MSME) to new export opportunities. Measures that improve tr ansparency in 
customs practices, reduce documentary requirements, and allow for processing of documents before 
goods arrive have had an immediate impact on traders. The TFA holds within its mandate the 
regulatory infrastructure to support global supply cha ins. Now more than ever is the time to harness 
and capitalize on the benefits of the TFA through its accelerated implementation.  
3. For example, many WTO Members at all levels of development have already fully implemented 
Article  23.2 to establish, maintain, or designate an existing mechanism as a National Trade 
Facilitation Committee (NTFC). A key responsibility of an NTFC is to institutionalize domestic 
coordination among all customs -related agencies and stakeholders. As such, the role of an NTFC is 
paramoun t in these fast -moving times because it ensures a whole -of-government approach to allow 
the efficient movement of goods. An NTFC is the best mechanism to ensure communication, 
coordination, and automation of border processes. This is only one example of ho w the TFA is playing 
a crucial role to help traders respond to the COVID -19 pandemic. There is room for the TFA to 
contribute more.  
4. As WTO Members, we commit to the accelerated implementation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, in particular:  
Article 1: Publication  
5. Today it is vitally important to improve transparency and information sharing between 
governments and the private sector by publishing on a single, free, and publicly available website 
the information in Article 1.1 and Article 2.1, highlightin g where possible those areas that enable 
traders to access timely guidance about COVID -19 and customs border operations. We urge all 
Members to utilize electronic means to disseminate this important information, including through 
accelerated implementation  of Article 1.4.  G/TFA/W/25  
 
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Article 7.1 : Pre-Arrival Processing  
6. Those countries that already provide for advance filing of electronic import declarations and 
information are better able to release critical medical supplies and personal protective equipment 
for home use or consumption. We urge all Members to accelerate their implementation of Article 7.1 
in order for all goods to move to their final destinations upon arrival at a port of entry, without hours 
and days being lost during the border clearance process . 
Article 7.3 : Separation of Release from Final Determination of Customs Duties, Taxes, 
Fees, and Charges  
7. We urge all Members to accelerate implementation of Article 7.3 in order to release imported 
goods, which meet regulatory requirements, for home use o r consumption -- even when uncertainty 
exists over the classification of those goods or the duties owed. Article 7.3 also provides that a 
country may utilize surety bonds to ensure payment; however, if the goods are safe and meet 
regulatory requirements, t he issue of tariff uncertainty should not delay delivery of goods, especially 
critical medical supplies and personal protective equipment.  
Article 7.8 : Expedited Shipments  
8. Implementation of Article 7.8 is also essential at this time. Those countries that a lready 
provide for separate and expedited procedures for the release of goods carried by an expedited 
shipment provider are in a much better position to pivot during the current pandemic and at other 
critical times. Expedited shippers already have supply c hains in place designed to handle important 
medicines and medical supplies, including temperature -controlled holds and storage. Expedited 
shippers have point -to-point visibility into the movement of crucial medical supplies and personal 
protective equipmen t as well as the automation to provide advance manifest and customs 
information and handling systems. These closed -loop delivery services are operating and delivering 
essential medical supplies and personal protective equipment while most commercial airlin es are not 
operating at full capacity.  
Article 8 : Border Agency Cooperation  
9. Coordination of efforts among regulators to smooth border operations is imperative at this 
time. We call upon each regulator to make crucial modifications to its operations to resp ond to the 
needs of its people. We further call on all Members to strengthen cooperation between authorities 
responsible for the regulation of trade, including customs authorities.  
Article 10.1: Formalities and Documentation Requirements  
Article 10.2: Acce ptance of Copies  
Article 10.3 : Single Window  
10. This is the time and opportunity to tackle formalities such as consularization requirements. 
There is no legitimate trade enforcement purpose served by requiring that traders have invoices, 
bills of lading, or c ertificates of origin stamped or signed by foreign ministries and consulates as part 
of a Member’s import process. These formalities are the pinnacle of unnecessary red tape that adds 
cost and time to imported goods . At a time where countries are desperate  for free and fair access 
to personal protective equipment and medical supplies, requiring that importers visit or mail 
documents to foreign ministries and consulates is an egregious waste of resources. Even more 
profound is that so many offices and minist ries are closed, and we are all operating under advice to 
limit our person -to-person interactions.  
11. COVD -19 has caused us all to take social distancing seriously and limit our person -to-person  
interactions. Customs and border operations that are automated and use data and digital images 
rather than paper documents and document runners make traders, border officers, and citizens 
safer. We must come to the realization that there is nothing profound about a piece of paper or the 
colour of ink on that  paper. The critical piece is the information, and this is the time and place to 
pivot away from putting importance on paper, stamps, or the colo ur of ink used to sign a document.  G/TFA/W/25  
 
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  12. Today, where social distancing is essential to stop the spread of COVID -19, all countries should 
be taking pro -active steps to automate its customs processes and remove unnecessary interactions 
among its people. These actions allow the release of goods for home use or consumption without 
requiring routine paper documents and stamp ing of documents. We urge all Members to accelerate 
the implementation of these three articles to reduce documents, formalities, and paper -based 
processes with a view to automating their operations and processes.  
13. There is no doubt that the tools available to implement the TFA are available and there is 
strong technical assistance and capacity building available to developing countries to help them 
implement and make these critical changes. COVID -19 only brings our wandering attention back 
again squarely on why implementation of the TFA is so important and should be part of each 
Member's plan to achieve the new normal. We look forward to continued dialogue and experience 
sharing in the Trade Facilitation Committee to further realize the benefits of this agree ment.  
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