Introduction
The approval of the European Union Customs Reform, particularly the creation of the EU Customs Data Centre, represents the most profound transformation since the creation of the Customs Union in 1968 (European Commission, 2023a). Its impacts extend beyond Europe, offering important lessons for regional blocs such as Mercosur and the Andean Community (CAN).
Digital transformation in customs operations is no longer optional: it has become a strategic requirement. In a context of rapid growth in e-commerce, global supply chains, and real-time logistics, customs systems need to evolve from national platforms to global intelligence engines.
This process brings both opportunities and risks. While the EU is moving toward centralizing its customs operations in a unified digital infrastructure, Mercosur countries still rely on diverse and often outdated national platforms. The same is true for trade corridors, such as the Bi-Oceanic Corridor, which are constrained by fragmented systems.
Why centralize customs data?
The justification lies in the scale and complexity of current trade, and the fact that security should not be limited to the macro level but should include strategies for the micro and fragmented levels. For example, the rise of e-commerce exponentially increased low-value shipments. In 2022, EU customs processed almost 1.000 billion additional e-commerce-related declarations (European Commission, 2023b). Around 65% of these shipments were under-invoiced to avoid tariffs, and 95% of products sold on online marketplaces did not comply with EU chemical standards (European Commission, 2023c).
Currently, the vast majority of customs data in countries remains dispersed in national systems, created in isolation and without compatibility. Each country collects and processes information independently, requiring multiple declarations for a single shipment. The result: inefficiencies and vulnerabilities.
Single Window initiatives, developed individually by each country, have served more to integrate internal organizations than to promote regional or global integration. Even with instruments such as the WCO Data Model, true interoperability has not yet been achieved.
For Mercosur and the Andean Community, the scenario is quite similar. In this context, the EU's response—a centralized, harmonized, and digital infrastructure—emerges as an inspiring model.
The Customs Data Center: Vision and Function
The EU Customs Data Centre will be the single digital access point for the submission and processing of customs information, gradually replacing more than 100 national systems (European Commission, 2023a).
Much more than a database, it will be the "digital brain" of the new customs union. It will enable real-time risk assessments, anomaly identification through artificial intelligence, and data reuse. It will also connect with other platforms, such as the EU Single Window, the Digital Product Passport, and European alert systems, ensuring comprehensive and predictive monitoring.
From fragmentation to integration
The transition from submission-based declarations to a centralized, data-driven model is one of the most transformative aspects of the reform. Economic operators will register their information only once in the Hub and will be able to reuse it across multiple transactions (European Commission, 2023a).
The creation of the "Trust and Check" category—an evolution of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)—will allow trusted companies to release goods with minimal customs intervention. Transparency and continuous data provision will become essential to building trust.
However, centralization raises critical issues of data sovereignty, privacy, and control—concerns that are especially relevant in countries reluctant to share strategic commercial information.
Conclusion: Transforming data into strategy
The EU Customs Data Centre goes beyond a technological upgrade: it is a strategy to align border control with the demands of digitalized global trade. It promotes transparency, strengthens enforcement, and optimizes trade flows.
For Mercosur and the Andean Community, it represents both inspiration and warning: regional digital integration requires political will, harmonized legislation, and robust infrastructure.
Will governments and businesses embrace this data revolution or remain trapped in fragmented and outdated systems? This decision will define the competitiveness of international trade for decades to come.
Highlighted
Commission Europeia. (2023a). Communication on the EU Customs Reform: Raise the Customs Union to the next level. COM(2023) 257 final.
Commission Europeia. (2023b). Avaliation of the Impact of the EU Customs Reform.
Commission Europeia. (2023c). Proposed Regulation that institutes the Customs Code of the Union and the EU Customs Authority.
World Customs Organization (WCO). (2024). Customs in the Global Network: Legal Viability of the Customs Data Exchange Platform (CDEP).
UNCTAD. (2021). ASYCUDA Program: Overview and Interoperability Quadro
The author is a CARF (Administrative Council of Fiscal Resources) Advisor, Doctor in International Trade Law, Professor, WCO Specialist and former Technical Officer, as well as former Tax and Customs Attaché.
