12 October 2026, Macao, China

On 12 October 2026, the Annual Meeting of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Regional Private Sector Group Asia/Pacific (RPSG-AP) was held in Macao, China, bringing together representatives of Customs administrations, regional entities, businesses and industry associations from across the Asia/Pacific region. Conducted in a hybrid format, the meeting provided a platform for exchanges on Customs modernization, trade facilitation, capacity building and public-private cooperation.

The meeting was chaired by Ms. Scarlett Tang, Vice-Chair of RPSG-AP and Director of HK Customs Affairs at Huawei International Co., Ltd. Mr. Steve Feng, Representative of the Hong Kong Customs and Deputy Head of the WCO Asia/Pacific Regional Vice-Chair Office, delivered the opening address and provided an overview of recent regional developments.  

Mr. Jun Tajima, Head of the WCO Asia/Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB A/P), attended the meeting alongside  program managers from the Office. In its presentation, ROCB A/P outlined the WCO’s mandate and the Office’s operational framework, with particular emphasis on the WCO’s newly adopted capacity-building paradigm. This paradigm repositions capacity building as a collective responsibility among all stakeholders—Customs administrations, international organizations, and the private sector—and prioritizes evidence-informed needs analysis, expert-led intervention design, and rigorous, outcome-oriented monitoring and evaluation. Consistent with this approach, ROCB A/P implements a results-driven cycle comprising three phases: (i) context-sensitive needs identification; (ii) structured preparation for activity implementation; and (iii) post-activity follow-up surveys to assess impact and inform future programming.

The meeting also featured updates from the WCO Asia/Pacific Regional Vice-Chair Office and thematic discussions on the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, Customs–private sector engagement models, and inclusive trade development. Participants shared practical experiences related to AEO benefits and mutual recognition arrangements; the integration of cross-border e-commerce operators and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) into AEO frameworks; trusted data-sharing mechanisms; and joint capacity-building approaches.  

ROCB A/P looks forward to continued engagement with the business community and further exchanges of technical knowledge and capacity-building tools. Private-sector perspectives and frontline operational experience can provide useful input to regional needs analysis and programming, contributing to secure, efficient and sustainable trade across the Asia/Pacific region.

For further information, please contact: rocb@rocbap.org.