Conex deciphers Indian and Chinese customs practices.

Indian Customs : one stop shop



CONEX’s expert anthropologist didn’t go to India in April 2006 as an explorer. Accompanied by his CEO, his destination was Bangalore to spend 3 days at the heart of one of the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) thematic conferences. (1)

Lance Thompson made contact with the people managing customs on the Asian and African continents. His investigations lead him to Bombay where he met with customs spokespeople, forwarding agents and customs brokers.

The Indian sub-continent boasts an entirely computerised « single window» arrangement for customs operations called ICEGATE. The national system applies to the whole of India, but for less technically equipped towns it is made more flexible. Forwarding agents and brokers operating without technical support are allowed to process declarations on paper.

The recipient customs service is then required to ensure that all data is entered into the online system, usually by subcontracting the work.
« The dematerialisation of merchandise flow has limits, » explains Lance Thompson. “ In India, final authorisation requires that all documents be printed in order to affix the sacrosanct customs stamp.” Despite this, there is no doubt for the observer that India is heading towards a totally paperless system. “Indian customs authorities desire simple and dynamic commercial exchange.” In this context, CONEX has identified an initial need: to help exporting companies “format” necessary entry procedures for their goods.

Chinese customs: compatibility and autonomy

The second major research trip for customs anthropologist, Lance Thompson, saw him travelling from Canton to Shanghai and from Hong Kong to Peking. His month-long expedition in July 2006 started with the SITL South China 2006 ( International Transport and Logistics Week), organised last summer in Canton. Faced with the immensity of the region, CONEX’s special envoy, in accordance with Alban Gruson, has designated Shanghai as his first area of study. This territory, the size of greater Paris, is where direct foreign investments converge.

Like in India, the Chinese authorities have established a “single window” arrangement for customs procedures , called e-Ports , for the entire country. Central Chinese Customs has given each region the freedom to develop its own computerised system reflecting their specific needs, however this system must be “e-Port compatible”. Through this pragmatic approach, CONEX’s CEO has identified his future market: firstly, software products aimed at assisting foreign companies present in China, and later the possibility of adapting CONEX customs clearance applications, DELTAPASS.

Lance Thompson’s travels continue. His next brief targets North Africa as seen from Morocco.
(1) World Customs Organisation: independent intergovernmental organisation (1952) whose objective is to improve the efficiency of customs administrations – 169 member countries
(2) SITL Europe : Semaine internationale du transport et de la logistique.