Peru, Chile strengthen border customs controls

Peru and Chile on Thursday signed an agreement to strengthen border customs controls by stepping up efforts to stem the inflow of illegal merchandise.

The agreement provides for the exchange of electronic information on the international transit of vehicles authorized for passengers and cargo transportation, Peru's National Superintendent for Taxes and Customs Administration said.

The Complementary Protocol to the Customs Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Bilateral Agreement also allows border customs offices to better coordinate in investigating and cracking down on customs infractions.

The agreement was signed by assistant supervisor Gloria Luque from SUNAT and her Chilean counterpart Gonzalo Sepulveda in Tacna.

Official figures show some 900 million U.S. dollars worth of goods are smuggled into Peru from Brazil and Argentina each year through its borders with Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile.

Source: Xinhua