The accuracy of customs valuation in cross-border trade directly impacts tax revenue and fair competition. Effectively identifying and managing valuation risks has become a critical challenge for customs authorities worldwide. Recently, with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP), Peru's National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT) hosted a virtual forum focused on customs valuation risk management practices and tools.
Held on June 25, 2025, as part of the second phase of the SECO-WCO GTFP initiative, the forum brought together 60 officials from various Peruvian customs departments along with representatives from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay to discuss database optimization for customs valuation risk management.
International Exchange: Database Applications in Risk Management
A central discussion point involved sharing international experiences about using databases to enhance customs valuation risk management. Participants presented their national practices regarding database development and implementation, covering data sources, analytical methods, risk assessment models, and database maintenance.
Brazilian customs demonstrated their big data analytics system for monitoring import/export prices and generating alerts. Through historical data analysis, they successfully identify abnormally priced goods for targeted inspections, effectively combating under-declaration practices. Chilean representatives presented their risk assessment model that assigns credit ratings to trading companies, enabling differentiated supervision based on credibility levels.
Streamlining Value Verification Procedures
The forum examined methods to implement more efficient and transparent value verification processes. Participants agreed that verification procedures significantly influence trade facilitation outcomes. Several customs administrations are adopting electronic verification systems with AI-powered automatic price review capabilities to accelerate processing times.
To enhance transparency, some countries have established public valuation databases containing reference prices, market trends, and customs valuation criteria. These resources help businesses better understand valuation standards, reducing disputes and misunderstandings.
Public-Private Collaboration Against Valuation Fraud
Discussions highlighted regional practices involving private sector participation in detecting customs valuation violations. Such violations not only reduce tax revenues but also distort fair market competition. Effective enforcement requires close cooperation between customs and private entities that possess valuable market intelligence and specialized knowledge.
Several countries have implemented whistleblower mechanisms with confidentiality protections and incentive structures to encourage reporting of valuation irregularities. Some customs administrations collaborate with industry associations to develop self-regulation standards for corporate valuation practices.
Peru's Action Plan: Enhanced Verification and Partnerships
The forum enabled Peruvian customs to formulate concrete measures for strengthening value verification and private sector engagement. Key initiatives include:
- Modernizing the value verification system through advanced technologies to increase automation and reduce processing times
- Developing a comprehensive valuation database with reference prices, market data, and customs criteria
- Establishing regular communication channels with businesses to address valuation concerns
- Implementing a whistleblower reward program for reporting valuation violations
- Collaborating with trade associations to establish industry self-regulation standards
WCO Commitment to Trade Transparency
The World Customs Organization reaffirmed its support for Peru's efforts to enhance customs valuation procedures and improve trade predictability. The WCO will provide technical assistance and training to strengthen Peru's valuation framework while facilitating international knowledge exchange on best practices for risk management.
This forum marks a significant step in Peru's customs modernization, combining international insights with technological innovation and stakeholder collaboration to promote sustainable trade facilitation.