The China-EU Joint Customs Cooperation Committee (JCCC) took place on 18 June in Shanghai and marked the 20th anniversary of the EU-China customs cooperation. Gerassimos Thomas, Director-General in the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union at the European Commission, co-chaired the meeting with Vice-Minister Wang Lingjun of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). Several Custom Attaches of EU Member States also attended the meeting.

The program of the included a visit to the Cross-border E-commerce Customs control area at Pudong Airport, where Shanghai customs showed a data system of real-time e-commerce imports and exports. JCCC’s agenda included discussions on the latest developments on customs in China and the EU, customs control on cross border e-commerce, IPR seizures by customs, anti-fraud, Smart and Secure Trade Lanes Pilot, Mutual Recognition of Authorized Economic Operator, relevant statistics, the fight against smuggling of designer drug precursors and the future of the overall EU-China customs cooperation. In view of recent trends and challenges, the EU and China agreed to establish a new working group on cross-border e-commerce and to intensify cooperation on designer drug precursors. While the meeting was positive and constructive, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union reiterates that it is important that the EU-China customs cooperation improve to address new challenges more efficiently.

European Union, 2024