E-Commerce and Paperless Trading a Challenge to Customs and BusinessmenThe topic of "e-commerce and paperless trade" evoked heated discussions among customs and business representatives attending the Seventh Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Customs-Business Dialogue (ACBD), which ended Tuesday in Shanghai.At an ACBD discussion session, participants agreed that e- commerce and paperless trade represent the trend in world trade and constitute challenges to customs and business circles. Director General of Japan's Customs and Tariff Bureau Yoshio Tamura said that e-commerce and paperless trade result in wider use of information technology, whose low costs and high speed have greatly influenced international trade. Japan began to use a customs clearance automation system 10 years ago, and 90 percent of export and import declarations are now realized through the system, he said. Compared with Japan, Chinese Customs have been slow to use e- commerce and paperless trade, said Wu Youyi from China's General Administration of Customs. Wu said the unified e-ports that China established in 1998 contribute to the improvement of overall governmental functions, and reduce vis-a-vis contacts between businessmen and customs officers to the lowest level, thus helping prevent potential corruption through the improvement of institutions. Participants also discussed the security, reliability and implementing standards and difficulties concerning e-commerce and paperless trade. The present era witnesses the coexistence of the new e-commerce and paperless trade and traditional trade, and the reorientation of customs and business circles. The participants of the 2001 ACBD meeting agreed that the convenience and high efficiency brought by information technology will be shared as governments and enterprises make joint efforts to promote global trade. |
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