Public Policy

Intel Public Policy: Import, Customs

Policy Import/Customs
Intel supports customs and trade facilitation policies that foster administrative ease, cost-effectiveness, speedy and barrier-free entry, predictability, fair enforcement, and transparency with respect to the importation of products into a country.
Background
With business activities spanning over 100 countries, Intel depends heavily on the ability to move products across international borders quickly, cost-effectively, and with minimal burdens. Sound government-import policies and procedures are therefore highly important to Intel. Various studies have shown that the costs of delays and unnecessary formalities at the borders of some countries can equate to a five-to-15 percent tariff.
Burdens, delays, and related costs can arise in the routine submission of customs entry documents and data; compliance with requirements related to tariff classification, value, origin, and shipment details; and duty and fee requirements. They can also surface in special licensing, certification, or other requirements linked to trade agreements, trade remedies, standards, security, and safety. To pursue favorable import policies and procedures, Intel supports trade agreements and other measures that remove technical import barriers; ensure that rules of origin for general-purpose trade foster administrative ease and market access, while not undermining trade remedies; foster simplified, predictable import procedures; and remove tariffs on high-tech imports in a manner that ensures that customs classification practices meet the intent of tariff elimination agreements.

Key Issues: Trade Facilitation
The next World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiation round should produce a trade facilitation agreement that fosters objective customs classification and valuation practices; harmonization of import data elements; transparent rulemaking; use of international standards in border measures; targeted and speedy customs inspections; viable risk management–based compliance/enforcement; and removal of overreaching product certification, licensing, trade remedy, or other special requirements or restrictions that act as disguised barriers to trade. Eventually, governments should end import controls on commercial products with encryption capability.

Read the full Intel Public Policy Import and Customs Paper.