Guatemala increases PCA use to identify counterfeiting patterns

By Mayora IP

Post-clearance audit (PCA) is a type of customs audit that is conducted after goods have been released from customs control. The purpose of a PCA is to verify the accuracy and authenticity of the declarations made by importers and exporters, and to ensure that the correct duties and taxes have been paid.

It can help to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) by identifying counterfeit goods, tracing the distribution of counterfeit goods, identifying trademark infringement and identifying copyright infringement.

On June 2023 the Secretariat of the World Customs Organization (WCO), in cooperation with Guatemalan Customs, conducted a national workshop on the matter. The goal was to develop PCA data analysis tools.

Participants analysed Customs data related to origin, HS classification and Customs valuation, and created tools to measure the risk represented by traders. The tools can visualize the risks involved and effectively select high-risk transactions and traders based on the large amount of data held by Customs. This process of creating the tools enabled participants to enhance their understanding of data analysis techniques for risk assessment.

Through the application of a risk-based post-clearance approach, Customs administrations are able to target their resources more effectively and create win-win partnerships with traders, who will be prompted to comply fully and voluntarily with the rules, as this will facilitate clearance procedures and hence trade.