Successes in Swiss customs clearance
The Swiss federal office for customs and border security was able to advance a number of digitalisation and modernising projects in 2023.
In addition to the launch of Passar, its new digital customs system – as seen here https://www.transportjournal.com/en/home/news/artikeldetail/a-first-step-towards-digital-customs-clearance.html - the office also reached milestones in its e-vignette services, issuing almost 150,000 electronic vignettes as of December 2023. In total, more than 2.5 million e-vignettes have now been sold.
Other services such as Quick-Zoll and Activ, apps to be used for digital customs processes, saw an increase in users and profit. Overall, trade volumes rose in 2023, with 10% more customs declarations in comparison to 2022, mostly due to imports and online trade.
The number of unlawful stays and drug trafficking incidents declined in 2023. Customs security identified more than twice the amount of smuggled meat compared to 2023, and the trafficking of doping substances also remains an important issue. (mk)