EU Customs Reform & Data Hub: a turning point for European trade

Godfried Smit, Secretary General of the European Shippers' Council, talks to Enrika Naujokė about the EU customs reform and what it means for businesses preparing for change — essential viewing for customs and trade compliance professionals tracking the new Union Customs Code and the EU Customs Data Hub.

Topics covered:

• Current status of the EU customs reform and the new Union Customs Code, including the trilogue negotiation process and the expected timeline for adoption
• The EU Customs Data Hub and how the new rules will be phased in over a long transitional period
• Practical steps companies, especially SMEs, can take now: improving supply-chain data quality, keeping tariff classification up to date, and clarifying contractual responsibilities with customs agents
• The Vilnius Manifesto and the collaborative spirit behind it, shared with EU institutions on International Customs Day
• The role of the European Shippers' Council and business associations more broadly in feeding practical experience into EU policymaking
• Why some companies, particularly SMEs, hesitate to join associations, and how associations can become more visible
• The growing role of customs in enforcing other EU legislation such as CBAM, deforestation rules and forced-labour requirements, and the case for using scanning technology and artificial intelligence to keep border management efficient

For a broader overview of the topic, please watch the full recording. The slides are available in the Resources section.

Please note that this summary was generated using AI, based on the recording and available slides.