UK, India and Kenya Advance Customs Modernization

The United Kingdom has completed the final phase of its post‑Brexit Border Target Operating Model, making safety and security declarations mandatory for all imports from the EU and requiring entry‑summary filings before cargo arrival. At the same time, India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has fully implemented the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, obliging shipping lines, importers and customs brokers to submit detailed electronic cargo manifests before vessels depart or arrive.

Kenya’s Revenue Authority announced a plan to introduce blockchain technology through a Trade Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP). The system aims to provide real‑time cargo tracking, create permanent digital records and curb fraud and paperwork at the Port of Mombasa and other border points. The move follows a record customs revenue collection that the Authority attributes to recent technology‑led reforms.

Industry groups in the UK and India have warned of initial technical glitches and higher compliance costs, while Kenyan officials expect the blockchain platform to improve transparency, reduce delays and strengthen revenue collection.