MTAG: WCO SAFE PROGRAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 000129 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/TC AND ISN/MTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2026 TAGS: ETTC TW ETRD WCO SUBJECT: MTAG: WCO SAFE PROGRAM REF: A. STATE 4098 ¶B. STATE 4109 Classified By: AIT Econ Chief Daniel K. Moore, 1.4 B/C ¶1. (C) Action request para 2. Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Export Control Head Wally Su expressed his Ministry's concern about the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards (SAFE) program during AIT/Econ's delivery of the export control information in refs A & B on January 12. As Su described it, the WCO SAFE program calls for WCO Members to implement a supply chain security system that would be inspected and certified by other WCO Members, and to provide preferential treatment for Members that have certified SAFE systems. Su said Taiwan officials are concerned that since Taiwan is excluded from the WCO, no WCO Member will be willing to inspect and certify a supply chain security system in Taiwan, and thus Taiwan would be disadvantaged in international trade. Su suggested that U.S. agencies could inspect and certify supply chain security in Taiwan on behalf of the WCO. ¶2. (C) Action request: AIT requests guidance from Washington agencies on how to respond to Taiwan concerns that it will be disadvantaged in international trading by its exclusion from the WCO SAFE program. YOUNG