The meeting featured Ms Irina Swift, Customs and Trade Facilitation Advisor for Trade and Investment Reform Support Program (TIRSP) in Azerbaijan. Ms Swift is a customs and international trade expert with 26 years of experience in customs valuation methods, automation, and training in Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Ecuador, Egypt, Jordan, Puerto Rico, and Uganda. Experienced in customs laws, regulations, procedures, and automated systems as they relate to commercial importations and in drafting changes to regulations. As an international manager at U.S. Customs, she has conducted needs assessment surveys on Russian customs commercial importations, exportations, and automation efforts. Ms Swift has a B.A. in political science from City University of New York. 

Followed by extended Q&A session, Ms Irina's speech covered the following topics:                                                

Electronic Processing
Primary method of communication with Customs will be electronic goods processing

Security and Safety- Brief import declaration
Requirement to submit goods data to Customs prior to arrival
Customs will base its controls on principles of risk management and assessment 

Simplification of Customs Procedures
Authorized Economic Operators” will be subject to reduced controls and allowed use of simplified customs procedures 

WTO Transparency
Rules of Origin - Traders may obtain “binding rulings” from Customs on request for origin
WTO Valuation Agreement
Appeals  

Post Clearance Audit
Periodic Review of Books and Records of trader after release of goods-goods released faster on less information for compliant traders