Article | 3 minute read
VAT is often treated as a compliance step at the end of a transaction. In international supply chains, VAT is shaped by how goods move, who owns them, and what agreements are in place between parties. When those elements are not fully aligned, uncertainty quickly arises. In this article, we share a practical case that illustrates how easily VAT complexity can emerge and how it can be resolved.
Article | 1.5 minute read
Article | 4.5 minute read
Article | 2.5 minute read
Article | 2 minute read
International trade has always involved a degree of complexity. But today, that complexity is no longer driven primarily by logistics or documentation. Increasingly, it is shaped by external forces that are difficult to predict and even harder to control.
Switzerland is not simply updating a customs system. It is redesigning how customs data is submitted, processed and monitored.
Trade complexity is no longer a background condition. It is a commercial variable. The debate is not whether trade has become more complex. It clearly has. The real question is whether your operating model converts that complexity into value, or absorbs it through margin, predictability, and market share.
Selecting a provider for a Customs Control Tower is one of the most consequential decisions a company can make in its customs and trade strategy.
Selecting a provider for a Customs Control Tower is not a routine procurement exercise. A Control Tower directly affects compliance, operational continuity, and data integrity across multiple countries. The RFQ process therefore needs to do more than compare service descriptions and prices. It must reveal whether a provider is capable of supporting long-term transformation. A structured RFQ is the foundation for that decision.
Customs outsourcing is undergoing a fundamental transformation. For many years, decisions were primarily driven by cost savings and capacity considerations. If declarations were processed efficiently and volumes could be absorbed, the model was considered successful. That logic is no longer sufficient.
Across global trade, the role of customs is evolving rapidly. What was once treated as a transactional necessity is now influencing supply chain resilience, cost control, risk management, and commercial performance.
Article | 6 minute read
The EU–Mercosur agreement has the potential to reshape trade between Europe and South America, but its value will depend on operational readiness rather than political headlines. This article explains where the real commercial impact is likely to arise, what businesses should expect in practice, and how early preparation can turn preferential access into measurable advantage.
Article | 4 minute read
As AI reshapes customs procedures and digitalisation accelerates, the role of many people working in the field of customs is shifting as well. And this change can bring about feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Does this mean the role of the customs broker is becoming redundant?
