ASYCUDA
The Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is a computerized customs
management system that covers most foreign trade procedures. It handles manifests and customs
declarations, along with accounting, transit and suspense procedures. It also generates trade data
that can be used for statistical economic analysis. The ASYCUDA software is developed by
UNCTAD.
ASYCUDA uses international codes and standards developed by the ISO (International
Organization for Standardization), WCO (World Customs Organization) and United Nations. It
can be configured to suit the national characteristics of individual customs regimes, national
tariffs and legislation. ASYCUDA provides Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between traders
and customs using prevailing standards, such as XML.
Background
In 1981, UNCTAD received a request from the Secretariat of the Economic Community of
Western African States (ECOWAS) to help compile foreign trade statistics in their Member
States. After an initial evaluation, it quickly became apparent that this would require the
involvement of customs clearance offices, and the modernization of customs clearance
processes, to achieve quality results.
Capitalizing upon advances in computer technology (the personal computer had at that time
sufficiently matured to be seriously considered as a business tool), UNCTAD proposed to
develop a customs software system which would be modular, adaptable and configurable so that
it could be used in difficult environments requiring only a small number of trained maintenance
staff.
At first, the plan was received with skepticism as many countries used mainframe systems with
on-site specialized computer engineers to support them. However, with the assistance of some
Member States, UNCTAD succeeded in developing a customs management system, which is
now commonly known as ASYCUDA.
ASYCUDA was originally developed on microcomputers which were extremely limited by
today’s standards. To implement a complex customs system in a multi-user environment on such
a platform, a technical solution had to be applied. This solution stretched the capacity of these
machines to the limit.
Over the year’s capacity and performance of microcomputers rapidly improved and major
revisions of the ASYCUDA software have led to what is, today, a stable and highly reliable
system. Additionally, a porting to the UNIX operating system has broadened the choice of
suitable hardware platforms to also include a number of minicomputers.
For customs and trade administrations to benefit from the latest innovations in information
technology (IT), UNCTAD regularly designs and develops new versions of its
flagship ASYCUDA software, and the fourth and latest iteration, ASYCUDA World, uses and
takes advantage of the latest open and web-based technology.
The ASYCUDA Program me
Development Context
Why an efficient and effective customs administration is essential to the welfare of any
country:
It benefits the national economy by collecting revenue
It assists the government in implementing national and international policy
It protects the country by combating fraud and the illegal trafficking of prohibited and
restricted goods
It provides statistical information on foreign trade transactions, which is essential for
economic planning
It encourages international trade
Objectives
The ASYCUDA Programmed works to reform customs clearance processes and aims to:
Accelerate customs clearance via computerization and by simplifying procedures, thereby
minimizing administrative costs to the business community and the economies of
countries
Increase customs revenue – often the major contributor to national budgets – by ensuring
that all goods are declared, that duty/tax calculations are correct and that
duty/exemptions, preference regimes, etc., are correctly applied and managed
Produce reliable and timely trade and fiscal statistics to assist in the economic planning
process as a by-product of the customs clearance process
An important objective of ASYCUDA projects is to implement systems as efficiently as possible
with a full transfer of know-how to national customs administrations at the lowest possible cost
for countries and donors. Projects also utilize harmonized international standards, such as
UN/EDIFACT, whilst simultaneously leading to active and mutually beneficial cooperation
among ASYCUDA user countries.
Features
ASYCUDA is a computerized customs-management system that covers most foreign trade
procedures. The system handles manifest and customs declarations, accounting procedures, and
warehousing manifest and suspense procedures. It generates detailed information about foreign
trade transactions that can be used for economic analysis and planning. ASYCUDA software can
be used on multiple types of hardware in a client/server environment. Transaction and control
data are stored in a relational database management system. It takes into account all international
codes and standards relevant to customs processing as established by the ISO, WCO and
UN. ASYCUDA can be configured to suit national characteristics such as: individual customs
regimes; national tariffs; customs regulations and legislation; and after initial configuration
remains fully adaptable to any changing customs regimes, regulations and legislation. It also
provides for electronic data interchange between traders and customs administrations using
UN/EDIFACT rules. The ASYCUDA implementation strategy has been developed to respond to
the challenge represented by such a complex reform programmed. It aims to deliver the full
transfer of know-how to ensure national long-term sustainability. At the same time it requires
strong national commitment at all levels and involves continuous progress evaluation. Project
activities are carried out in the following three phases: