The World Customs Organization ( WCO) adopted a new set of rules on Friday to secure and simultaneously facilitate international trade.

The rules aim to secure the international trade supply chain in response to growing threats including international terrorists, organized criminal syndicates, WCO Secretary General Michel Danet told a press conference.

"It also allows the business community to obtain trade facilitation benefits in exchange for their commitment to its principles," he added.

The rules, named the Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, are widely seen as a revolutionary step towards the modernization of global customs system.

Around 100 WCO members, including China, signed up the framework. In principle, all those countries will require shippers to provide advance electronic data on all incoming and outgoing cargo and has the ability to inspect specific shipments with large x-ray machines.

However, WCO officials said that up to 60 countries lacked the ability to implement the changes. The WCO is considering providing financial tools in technical help over the next few years to aid those countries.

Source: Xinhua