The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) stands in the wake of the Kyoto Convention and other international Conventions concluded under the auspices of the WTO and the World Customs Organization (WCO) which contributed to the development of an international customs law. That customs law has introduced a change in the supranational regulatory framework inasmuch as for the first time, it lays down specific criteria and rules in relation to customs procedures and controls and rights of the economic operators. The TFA contains a number of provisions for the protection of private operators, aimed at ensuring the implementation of certain fundamental principles in dealings between traders and customs administrations. The important principles that are worth mentioning in this respect include: transparency; legal clarity; information for traders; the right of defence; and the right to judicial protection.
Global Trade and Customs Journal