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Taiwan plans speedier customs

Express parcels for export could soon clear customs more quickly in a move welcomed yesterday by the foreign business community and express delivery companies here.

Officials from the Directorate General of Customs were meeting yesterday to decide when and how to implement a "post-entry" clearance system, according to Vincent Wu (吳文昇), a manager at United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) in Taiwan.

At present, express companies have to pre-prepare and submit a customs declaration electronically -- known as "pre-entry" clearance -- which allows customs officials to scan each package when it arrives at the airport and clear it for export. Post-entry clearance is expected to do away with the need for packages to be scanned and cleared at the airport.

"This is a positive develop-ment," said Jeroen Rozendal, co-chair of the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei's logistics committee. "Currently there are too many documents that have to be delivered. The move to post-entry customs clearance is an important step in the government's goal of making all Customs transactions paperless."

It would also help in the development of Taiwan's free ports, Rozendal said. "The move will also facilitate the free ports, allowing more freedom in those areas, as well as facilitating the free movement of goods."

The change would also benefit Taiwan, Rozendal's counterpart at the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei said.

"Export efficiency is important for Taiwan's economy," said Jimmy Chen (陳信孝), chairman of AmCham's transportation committee, and managing director of FedEx Express Corp Taiwan.

"Post-entry customs clearance will enhance Taiwan's outbound competitiveness. By doing away with this process, we can gain a couple of hours which we can pass on to our customers, giving them a later cut-off time," Chen added.

UPS also promised later cut-off times yesterday if post-entry clearance is adopted by Taiwan customs.

"There are definite advantages to those customers who qualify as it could potentially mean later pick-up times for them, and on the other end it would enhance better schedules for us and reaching better delivery times," said Kenneth Torok, president of UPS' Asia Pacific region.

Torok is in town to meet with customs officials and find out the outcome of yesterday's discussions. He also announced a new UPS flight to Anchorage from Taipei, scheduled to begin on September 20, with the aim of cutting delivery times to the US east coast.

UPS and Fedex have been actively lobbying together with other express delivery companies and foreign business leaders for the customs change.

"The final decision rests solely with customs," said Benjamin Choi (蔡永瓏), managing director of UPS International Inc's Taiwan branch. "UPS has been working very intimately with customs along the way to ensure that implementation is sooner -- the sooner the better. It benefits Taiwan customs, UPS and its customers."

Under UPS' proposal, customers are pre-identified by the express company and approved by customs.

"Companies must fit the requirements set by customs," Choi said. "They have to have a clean customs record."

But it may be a long time before we see the same simplified customs procedure for imports, Chen said.

"Post-entry for imports would only be possible if Taiwan belonged to a free-trade agreement area," he said.
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