Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity - Regional Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement

Declaration on Good Practices for Pre-Arrival Processing, 2024

Recognizing the commitment in Article 7.1 on Pre-Arrival Processing in the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, set out in Annex 1A to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), to adopt or maintain procedures allowing for the submission of import documentation and other required information, including manifests, in electronic format, in order to begin processing prior to the arrival of goods with a view to expediting the release of goods upon arrival;

Recognizing the commitments of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation in Article 8 on Border Agency Cooperation and Article 10.4 on Single Window;

Acknowledging that the commitments in Articles 7.1, 8, and 10.4 of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation draw from the International Convention on the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures (as amended), also known as the Revised Kyoto Convention, the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, and the WCO Immediate Release Guidelines;

Recalling the request of Americas Partnership Leaders in the East Room Declaration to immediately focus on enhancing regional integration by advancing implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation and digitization of customs mechanisms throughout the region;

Noting with appreciation the recent Trade Facilitation Dialogue on July 24-25, 2024, in Bogota, Colombia which brought together government and stakeholder experts from all of our countries to discuss Border Agency Cooperation, Single Window, and Pre-Arrival Processing;

1. Each country of the Americas Partnership recognizes the following recommendations as good practices for trade facilitation:   
1. Include as many government agencies that are responsible for border controls and procedures on imports, exports, and transit, as is practicable, in the implementation and operation of its Single Window;
2. Allow importers, brokers, or others that are required to submit forms, documents, or data with respect to an import to make the submission to its Single Window electronically as soon as they have reliable information for the submission;
3. Allow border agencies participating in its Single Window to access Single Window submissions, to the extent practicable, in a manner compatible with each of the agency’s risk assessment tools;
4. For Single Window submissions made prior to arrival, support the border agencies that are participating in its Single Window to access and use the submitted information prior to arrival for risk assessment and other regulatory determinations related to releasing the shipment from customs custody;
5. To the extent practicable and permitted by law, communicate the outcome of the risk assessment or other regulatory determination of each relevant agency through its Single Window prior to or upon arrival;
6. Publish and maintain procedures that allow importers or their agents to update their Single Window submissions, and to correct non-fraudulent errors in their submissions, for a reasonable amount of time after they were originally submitted;
7. For imports subject to examination or inspection upon arrival, coordinate the timing, location, and logistics of the examination or inspection among the relevant border agencies to enable the completion of the process as efficiently as practicable.
2. The Americas Partnership countries share the view that implementation of these practices will enhance regional integration by supporting the full implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation and advancing the digitalization of border agency mechanisms.
3. Senior Officials for the Americas Partnership call on the representatives of the Committee on Trade Rules and Transparency to provide updates as each country successfully implements the practices herein.