Definition. Arrangements in which two or more organizations are associated to advance their objectives of better facilitation of legitimate trade, combined with better controls of non compliant trade.

Overview. Trade involves a broad spectrum of public and private stakeholders in multiple countries with both converging and diverging goals. While a few of the major players may insist on a mono-focal approach, the only sustainable approach to trade and transport facilitation entails making balanced trade-offs and whenever feasible developing win-win cooperation and partnerships that enable limited resources to be dedicated to where they are most needed. For example, instead of security versus facilitation, elements of security need to be integrated in supply chains through partnerships with the trading community (authorized trader concept), among border agencies both nationally and internationally. While easier said than done, due to the trade-offs between regulatory needs and free flow of goods, a collaborative approach offers a more suitable environment to address the respective priorities. Cooperation needs to happen at a global, national and industry level, through public-private partnerships, to ensure that together the trade facilitation agenda moves forward.

GFP and GFP Partners Activities. This type of cooperation and partnership forms the core of the GFP vision. Many of its members actively participate in task forces such as the WCO task force on Supply Chain Management, or promote public private partnership such as the Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition (BASC) effort. Cooperation has been increasingly promoted as the only suitable approach, particularly in developed economies to ensure that the interest of the state and companies are met.

Where to start. WCO guidelines for Customs/Industry Cooperation. WCO Convention on mutual administrative assistance.

Join the effort! The GFP welcomes feedback/additions/tools/documents from practitioners, that would respond to this topic. The GFP web team is particularly interested in collecting and assembling all the methodologies, survey instruments and results developed and used by its Partners. Please e-mail those to and suggest the topic(s) under which they could be included.