Page 218 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

(b) promote efficient administration of customs procedures of
each Party, and the expeditious clearance of goods;

(c) simplify customs procedures of each Party and harmonise
them to the extent possible with relevant international
standards;

(d) promote cooperation among the customs authorities of the
Parties; and

(e) facilitate trade among the Parties, including through a
strengthened environment for global and regional supply
chains.

Article 4.3: Scope

This Chapter shall apply to customs procedures applied to goods traded
among the Parties and to the means of transport which enter or leave
the customs territory of each Party.

Article 4.4: Consistency

1. Each Party shall ensure that its customs laws and regulations are
consistently implemented and applied throughout its customs
territory. For greater certainty, this does not prevent the exercise
of discretion granted to the customs authority of a Party where
such discretion is granted by that Party’s customs laws and
regulations, provided that the discretion is exercised consistently
throughout that Party’s customs territory and in accordance with
its customs laws and regulations.

2. In fulfilling the obligation in paragraph 1, each Party shall
endeavour to adopt or maintain administrative measures to
ensure consistent implementation and application of its customs
laws and regulations throughout its customs territory, preferably
by establishing an administrative mechanism which assures
consistent application of the customs laws and regulations of that
Party among its regional customs offices.

3. Each Party is encouraged to share with the other Parties its
practices and experiences relating to the administrative
mechanism referred to in paragraph 2 with a view to improving
the operations thereof.

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