Customs officials from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) joined forces to support the region’s recovery by developing best practice guidelines to support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
These guidelines for customs administrations were approved by the Subcommittee on Customs Procedures prior to the APEC Trade Ministers Meeting 2021, indicated today (08.06.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX) in a release of APEC.
In this regard, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Customs Procedures, Rebecca Jonassen, said that “customs is one of the critical actors in the global supply chain process.” In this line, he added that “As key guardians protecting borders, they must ensure that essential products such as vaccines can flow easily without delays.” He assured that member economies can encounter numerous challenges in the supply chain, including counterfeiting and illegal movement of vaccines.
Therefore, the official said that cross-border transit of COVID-19 vaccines and related products, such as test kits, syringes and dry ice, which is supported by the rules-based trade system, is a relevant and real-time challenge.
To meet this challenge, The guidelines consist of operational and practical measures that ensure supply chains facilitate the flow of COVID-19 vaccines and associated products. This implies that when implementing any of those measures, Asian economies should also take into account the Framework of APEC for Safe Trade, the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the WTO, the revised Kyoto Agreement of the World Customs Organizations (OMA), the Regulatory Framework SAFE of the WCO, the WCO Resolution on the Role of Customs in facilitating the cross-border movement of medicines and vaccines, the WCO Guidelines for Trade Recovery and other international standards.
Practical examples
In addition to this regulatory framework, best practices include the establishment of a 24 hour point of contact to assist with questions and answers to avoid delays, ensure the vaccine supply chain is not interrupted during transit, and expedite border clearance of hazardous substances.
The guidelines recommend that customs administrations in the region Simplify procedures, use online forms and digitize documents to ensure the timely movement and dispatch of vaccines.
Another recommendation is to carry out regular border testing, including swab tests surface and border officials' tests involved in the authorization process to ensure the safe transfer of vaccines and related goods and to protect officials and others involved in their distribution.
“By implementing these measures, APEC economies will benefit from simpler border processes and help COVID-19 vaccines get to where they are needed more quickly and efficiently,” said the Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Customs Procedures.
The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally will depend on a dedicated supply chain. Timeliness of transportation, dispatch and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and related goods will be critical. Therefore, this particular initiative seeks to establish best practices for the successful mobilization of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on supply chain and customs clearance processes.
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