Customs Support Group Deploys AI-Powered Smart Document Processing Across Europe
- Significantly reduced time spent on manual documentation tasks – more focus on expert knowledge and strategic decision-making
- Up to 50% increase in efficiency in the preparation of digital customs declarations
- Europe-wide rollout across 14 markets, with a target of 1 million declarations processed using AI technology in 2025
Rotterdam / Hamburg, 20 May 2025 – Customs Support Group (CSG), Europe’s leading provider of customs clearance and trade solutions, is introducing AI-powered Customs SmartAssist solution for documentation processing at all its locations in Europe. The aim is to boost digitalisation in the customs industry and significantly enhance documentation efficiency and quality, enabling faster movement of goods across borders. As the industry leader in customs digitalisation and automation, CSG already processes every second customs declaration digitally – out of 4 million annually. With the Europe-wide rollout of AI-based document processing, this share will grow even further – setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Customs clearance remains one of the most paper-intensive industries, further challenged by strict regulations and complex compliance requirements. Even a basic declaration involves handling at least 4–5 multipage documents, while more complex cases can require over 10, including import/export licenses, certificates of origin, and various regulatory compliance documents.
“Transferring, consolidating, and processing information from various documents consumes valuable time and is prone to omissions or errors, which can lead to delays in customs clearance, non-compliance risks or even fines,” says John Wegman, CEO of Customs Support Group.
“AI-powered document processing eliminates manual data entry, freeing our customs experts to focus on higher-value tasks such as reviewing customs declarations, resolving complex issues, and delivering personalised client support.”
Efficiency Gain Of Up To 50%
The Customs SmartAssist solution uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to process documents accurately in various formats and qualities – including handwritten information or low-resolution copies and mobile phone photos.
The tool also takes language complexity away – it automatically extracts all relevant customs-specific information and instantaneously translates it. The system is designed to be self-learning: if any data fields are unclear, they are flagged for CSG experts to review before submission. Once corrections are made, the AI learns from the feedback and continuously improves its ability to interpret and process similar documents accurately in the future. This minimises errors and significantly reduces processing times. Thanks to its scalability, the SmartAssist solution can efficiently handle large volumes of documents.
After the first round of testing in the United Kingdon, in 2024, the efficiency of documentation processing improved by over 30 per cent even for complex goods declarations. “As the module is self-learning, the aim is to achieve an overall increase in efficiency of up to 50 per cent by the end of the year,” says John Wegman.
CSG Accelerates Digital Transformation with Europe-Wide Rollout of Smart Document Processing
Customs SmartAssist is already operational across CSG’s offices in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Ireland, marking a major milestone in the company’s drive to support its customers both physically and digitally. With a presence in 14 countries across Europe, CSG aims to achieve a wider rollout network in the second half of 2025.
As the demand for digital customs services continues to increase, the company anticipates passing over one million customs declarations through the SmartAssist system this year – focusing primarily on high-volume transactions. Given the scale and geographic reach of CSG’s operations, this initiative is poised to set a new benchmark for digitalization and efficiency in the global customs industry.
Real Customs Expertise – Combining AI with RI (Real Intelligence)
“A customs declarant typically needs several hours to input and check the data,” says John Wegman. “AI and automation can do this in a fraction of the time. However, the finalisation of the customs declaration remains with our experts. Once the document has been completed by the AI, it still requires the complex expertise and judgement of our customs professionals – ‘Real Intelligence’ – to review all entries, sign off the declaration, and submit it to the authorities.” This frees up more time for strategic client advisory services as global trade environment become more complex.
According to the CSG Strategic Radar Customer Survey, conducted at the end of 2024 with leading European manufacturers and logistics providers, nearly half of respondents see AI as a game-changer for overcoming efficiency and capacity challenges. However, the complexity of the regulations and documentation has also led to uncertainties in the effective implementation of these technologies, as there are concerns (over a quarter of respondents) about possible compliance violations through automated machine interventions.
“AI will play an important role in customs clearance in the future,” says John Wegman. “But the fear of non-compliance risks emphasizes the crucial role of human customs knowledge and expertise. We therefore use automation and AI primarily for simple data input and repetitive tasks.”
Customs Support Group at Transport Logistics Fair, Munich
Even though the customs industry is still paper-based, the future is digital-enabled. As a leading provider of customs clearance and trade solutions, CSG is driving the digital transformation of customs. At the ‘Transport Logistic’ trade fair, taking place from 2 to 5 June 2025 in Munich, CSG will be presenting the latest industry innovations and updates (hall B3, stand 112).
