Digitalisation
Can the EU strike a balance between worker protection, innovation and global AI competitiveness?
Ramūnas Šablinskas13 Apr 2025Updated 14 Oct 2026
Can the EU strike a balance between worker protection, innovation and global AI competitiveness?
Editor's note: Continuing the theme of the previous article (see 'Discussion of the most important AI risks'), the author looks at how the EU is trying to reconcile worker protection, innovation and global AI competitiveness while taking full account of citizens' concerns. The author discusses a recent opinion of the...
Digitalisation
Perspective
How can you train an artificial intelligence system to do what you need?Ramūnas Šablinskas12 Oct 2025Updated 14 Oct 2026
How can you train an artificial intelligence system to do what you need?
This article aims to explain how artificial intelligence (AI) systems are trained, how they differ from traditional programmes, and – most importantly for your daily work – when they can be trusted and what to expect from them in the future. We recognise the need for, and importance of, this...
Digitalisation
Perspective
Software proposes, you answerRamūnas Šablinskas29 Sep 2026
Software proposes, you answer
AI tools already classify goods, read documents, check supply chains and select consignments for control. On 14 September 2026 the World Trade Organization (WTO) presented a new database of case studies that shows how far this has gone. On 19 September 2026 the new Union Customs Code was published as...
Digitalisation
Perspective
Value of human accountability over algorithmic outputs
Elizabeth Davies14 Apr 2026
Value of human accountability over algorithmic outputs
HM Revenue & Customs has issued guidelines on the appropriate use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in commercial software products that assist customers in submitting information to HMRC. We consider this, along with several other documents, within the context of applying AI to customs classification, in order to examine its...
Classification
Digitalisation
Country update
How AI is revolutionising international trade compliance research
Nate Young30 Mar 2026
How AI is revolutionising international trade compliance research
Different companies are integrating AI tools into international trade compliance in various ways, depending on their specific requirements, data environments and appetite for risk. This article introduces readers to the approach of US law firm Crowell & Moring LLP: using an in-house AI system for routine legal tasks and the...
Digitalisation
Perspective
How can AI simplify compliance with international sanctions regimes?
Aušra Šablinskienė29 Jan 2026
How can AI simplify compliance with international sanctions regimes?
In this article, we focus on the constantly evolving and highly complex legal landscape of EU sanctions imposed on third countries. We explore whether artificial intelligence (AI) can enable more efficient compliance, in particular by accelerating the assessment of whether a product transported along a specific route is subject to...
Digitalisation
Sanctions
Explainer
AI and the future of customs tariff classification
Martin Pay28 Sep 2025
AI and the future of customs tariff classification
Artificial intelligence is not just a far-off idea; it is already changing the way that global trade is conducted. This is nowhere more apparent than in the tariff classification, where the intricacy of regulations, volume of data, and requirement for accuracy provide the ideal conditions for artificial intelligence to have...
Classification
Digitalisation
Perspective
Update on two pillars of the EU customs reform: the EU Customs Data Hub and the redefinition of the ‘importer’ 
Michael Lux24 Jun 2025
Update on two pillars of the EU customs reform: the EU Customs Data Hub and the redefinition of the ‘importer’
Under the Polish Presidency, which expires at the end of June, the Council was able to draw up a complete compromise text on the Commission's proposal of a new Union Customs Code (nUCC). Apart from further minor amendments until the Council's decision on a negotiating mandate, this text will –...
Customs law
Digitalisation
Topic spotlight
The future of customs: AI, education and the human factor
Frank Heijmann08 Apr 2025
The future of customs: AI, education and the human factor
With AI advancing rapidly, concerns about its impact on jobs and decision-making are growing. In this engaging interview, Enrika Naujoke and Frank Heijmann explore how AI is transforming customs, the balance between human judgment and machine efficiency, and why a strong foundation in education might be essential for navigating the...
Digitalisation
Profession
Case law
Discussion of the most important AI risksRamūnas Šablinskas19 Feb 2025
Discussion of the most important AI risks
The EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act was created to manage the most important risks associated with the development and adaptation of this technology. Let’s take a look at the most discussed risks associated with AI, as identified by various internet commentators, experts and members of the public.
Digitalisation
Perspective
On the benefits of AI for society and a use case in customs
Enrika Naujokė05 Jan 2025
On the benefits of AI for society and a use case in customs
"Happy New Year!" I started a conversation with an AI assistant on the Customs website. "Happy New Year! If you have any questions about customs rules or procedures, I will be happy to help" it replied. On the last day of 2024, Lithuanian Customs in cooperation with CustomsClear, deployed the...
Digitalisation
Case law
Data challenges in classification and the role of AI in dataElizabeth Davies29 Oct 2024
Data challenges in classification and the role of AI in data
Everyone knows how crucial accurate customs classification is to global trade compliance. In this article, the author explores the importance of accurate data in customs classification, which data matters, and how to trust the data you are working with. She also explores the evolving role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can...
Classification
Digitalisation
Topic spotlight
The latest AI-related regulatory developments in the EU and implications for customsRamūnas Šablinskas28 Jul 2024
The latest AI-related regulatory developments in the EU and implications for customs
Developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are the latest buzzword. However, the majority of people do not understand the technology behind it as well as its potential implications for our lives and, more specifically, the field of customs and border management. In this article, we will give a...
Digitalisation
Topic spotlight
Technology to Customs: Catch me, if you can
Omer Wagner21 Apr 2024
Technology to Customs: Catch me, if you can
The WTO's Harmonised System (HS) convention is probably one of the most successful international conventions and aims to harmonise tariff codes for goods worldwide. The WTO also has successful conventions, including the 1996 Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which aims to improve trade in technology products by eliminating customs duties on...
Digitalisation
Explainer
Chat GPT and Google Bard: How customs brokers can use these AI tools
Gertrūda Bakšienė01 Oct 2023
Chat GPT and Google Bard: How customs brokers can use these AI tools
Artificial Intelligence (AI) - a topic that was barely heard of last year, it now seems to be a topic that appears at almost every conference and can be applied in every field. When we heard about artificial intelligence and its availability on the market, it seemed so distant and...
Digitalisation
Profession
Perspective
Customs HI&AI: new crisis or new opportunities?Enrika Naujokė01 Oct 2023
Customs HI&AI: new crisis or new opportunities?
'It is December 2039, and various newsbots push the following content to their subscribers: ... Customs is being abolished next January (2040) when the EU's new customs system [Artificial Customs Intelligence Depository, ACID] comes into operation ... The new system means that most of the approximately 5,500 Customs employees will...
Digitalisation
Perspective