On 5 November 2026, the Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Japan (Director-General TERAOKA Mitsuhiro and other officials) and the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands (Ms. Karin Borsboom, Director of International Affairs, and other officials) held discussions..
During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on a wide range of issues of common interest to both customs administrations, including efforts to combat the smuggling of illicit goods (including the use of advanced technologies such as AI), responses to cross-border e-commerce (including cooperation with platform operators), the promotion of public-private partnerships, and the use of advanced inspection equipment.
The two customs administrations also exchanged a cooperation document aimed at strengthening collaboration between them. The document identifies three priority areas for cooperation: (i) advanced technologies and AI, (ii) cross-border e-commerce, and (iii) risk management and targeting. It provides for regular expert-level meetings between the two administrations in these areas to facilitate information sharing and the exchange of views.
In addition, the Dutch Customs delegation visited facilities including the Haneda Customs Branch and the Kawasaki Overseas Mail Sub-Branch Office, deepening its understanding of the initiatives undertaken by Japan Customs. The delegation also exchanged views with a commercial airline and other private sector stakeholders on approaches to public-private cooperation.
Going forward, the two customs administrations will further strengthen their cooperation by steadily advancing initiatives under the cooperation document, building on the discussions held during this meeting.
