Vietnam to Host World Customs Event for the First Time

The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) will jointly organize the 2023 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition in Hanoi from October 10-12.

The press conference on the 2023 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition

The event, with the theme “Embracing the Digital Age: Leveraging Technology, Fostering Innovation, and Nurturing the Next Generation of Customs Professionals,” is the largest annual WCO event and will take place at the National Convention Center, Hanoi.

The event consists of two components: Conference and exhibition. The conference includes plenary sessions and thematic breakout sessions on technology strategies and applications to address global trade challenges; enhance resilience and continuity of customs operations in the digital era; and ensure cybersecurity and disaster recovery. Moreover, the event will feature a breakout session on how artificial intelligence (AI) supports customs authorities to use big data for better risk management and trade facilitation, and a session on new customs support technologies in cyber security and cargo screening.

The event’s featured speakers are leaders and experts from various customs agencies around the world, including WCO members and developed countries such as the U.S., Australia, the Netherlands, the UK and Japan. The event will also showcase specialists from multinational tech solution corporations such as S2 Global, Leidos, Webb Fontaine, Microsoft, Ultra Global, Crimson Logic PTE Ltd, GUUD International Pte Ltd and GTS.

The Vietnamese side will participate in a session on technologically facilitated trade in the digital era. The session will discuss how innovation and technology can support customs and regulatory border agencies to perform tasks and achieve better, more transparent outcomes and increase cooperation between relevant agencies.

Vietnam will also attend a thematic session on “Green Customs for Sustainable Future: Innovative Solutions for Trade and Border Management”. This session will explore topics such as green logistics, sustainable packaging, circular supply chains or solutions to enhance environmental compliance control and solutions to reduce carbon emissions in customs operations.

The exhibition will showcase booths for companies to introduce new customs-related technologies such as AI-integrated screening technology, network security technology and blockchain technology.

Mr. Hoang Dinh Trung, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Bureau under the GDC (Ministry of Finance), said that attendees will have the opportunity to learn, access and update customs technology development trends and technologically supported customs management solutions in a vivid and direct manner. This will help customs authorities seek solutions to apply modern technologies to enhance the management of imported and exported goods, thus boosting customs agency capacity and modernization.

“The event is also an opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its commitment to digital transformation and application of modern technology toward e-government and digital government,” he emphasized.

For Vietnamese technology firms, the event is an opportunity to exchange experiences, expand the network of connections with technology solutions providers in customs and international trade fields, and seek cooperation opportunities with global partners.

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent intergovernmental body tasked to enhance the performance of customs administration. Last year, the WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition was held in the Netherlands with dozens of countries participating and hundreds of businesses introducing new technologies that helped modernize customs authorities.

By Hien Phuc, Vietnam Business Forum