Customs: from risk analysis to the fight against illicit trafficking – cooperation with the US has been strengthened

A further boost to strengthening cooperation between Italia and the United States in the customs sector. The Director of the Customs and Monopolies Agency, Roberto Alesse, and the Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, Rodney S. Scott, held talks in Washington as part of the ‘well-established cooperation between their respective administrations’. This was reported in a press release from the Customs and Monopolies Agency.

During the talks, the parties ‘reaffirmed their shared commitment to security and the international supply chain, to combating illicit trafficking and to protecting legitimate trade’ and agreed to “further strengthen operational cooperation and the exchange of information, with a particular focus on risk analysis, the security of supply chains, combating synthetic drugs and the development of professional skills amongst customs staff”.

Furthermore, the meeting highlighted “the importance of close collaboration with economic operators and the key players in e-commerce, with a view to improving the transparency of supply chains and the effectiveness of risk-based controls”. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of “great cordiality and mutual trust, confirming the excellent state of relations between the Adm and the Cbp and the shared desire to continue collaborating on issues of strategic interest to both countries”, the statement reads.