Delegates at the First Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference on the 9-10 February have agreed to a ‘Beijing Declaration’.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) hosted the event. The WCO released a statement saying that the Beijing Declaration summarised the issues raised at the conference and “sets out a vision for boosting sound, secure, balanced and sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce”.

According to the WCO, “over 100 Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Directors General/Deputy Directors General of Customs administrations, Tax authorities and relevant government agencies, as well as CEOs of e-commerce operators, postal operators, express service providers and other business entities” spoke at the event.

The WCO commented: “The Conference emphasized the need for an international standard, and supported the expeditious development of the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border

The WCO continued, “E-Commerce, the first guiding document on how the world Customs community and relevant border agencies can better regulate and provide enhanced facilitation to cross-border e-commerce.”

The Global Cross-border E-Commerce Conference is now expected to be held every two years in different regions of the world.