Our article challenges conventional thinking in Customs by reframing the concept of control. Its core message is straightforward yet impactful: the problem is not insufficient control, but poorly designed control. It advocates for a transition from blanket verification to risk-based, intelligence-led approaches, where instruments such as self-certification are complemented by targeted ex-post checks and robust penalty structures for non-compliance. This perspective is consistent with growing evidence that overly complex origin requirements undermine both the ability and the willingness of firms to utilize trade preferences. The article goes beyond critique. It sets out a practical pathway toward reducing trader costs, improving compliance, and strengthening enforcement. In doing so, it calls for a broader shift in modern Customs systems (from more control to smarter control), a transition that is particularly critical in developing and least developed countries, where high control levels are often driven by their higher reliance on revenue collection at borders. Read it on the World Customs Journal.

The crisis in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global energy supply chains. Attacks on refineries and disruptions in traditional shipping routes have created an urgent demand for alternative suppliers. In an insightful discussion with Danilo Desiderio, the founder & CEO of Desiderio Consultants and an expert in African customs, trade and transport policies & regulations, and the African Continental Free Trade Area, he noted that the disruptions in the global energy supply chain are creating a historic window for African energy producers, and with deliberate policies, this moment of geopolitical leverage can translate into tangible economic stability and energy sovereignty for the continent. Link to the podcast.