From Paperwork to Strategic Lever – Five Ways Customs Has Changed Over the Last 30 Years
International trade is continuously evolving. Regulations change, new markets emerge, and compliance expectations continue to grow. With each shift, customs has quietly undergone a transformation that many outside the profession have only recently begun to appreciate.
Over the past 30 years, the perception of customs has gone from a procedural stepping stone to a strategic lever. Businesses have come to appreciate that customs decisions influence cost control, risk, and operational continuity.
At Customs Support Group, our long-serving colleagues have experienced this shift first-hand. Looking back over the past few decades, their experiences reflect a broader change across the industry: customs has moved from the edge of the supply chain to a central function.
In this article, supported by commentary from Nathalie Mus and Ton Van Grinsven, we explore five ways customs has changed.
Contents:
- From local operations to international coordination
- From paperwork processing to risk management
- From declarants to advisors
- From manual processes to data and automation
- From back-office task to strategic consideration
- What this means for businesses trading internationally
From Local Operations to International Coordination
30 years ago, operations were typically local in nature. Brokerage teams worked within a single port or country, handling shipments passing through that location. Processes were relatively informal, and organisational structures were smaller and easier to manage.
As Nathalie Mus recalls, operational changes could often be implemented quickly.
“When we needed to implement a change, it was just sending an email to four different locations and making a phone call to check they had seen it.”
As businesses expanded internationally, this model became increasingly difficult to sustain. Today, companies trade across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, each with its own regulatory environment and compliance expectations.
Therefore, customs processes need to operate consistently across borders. Organisations require standardised procedures, coordinated reporting, and reliable oversight across multiple countries.
What was once a local function has become an international operational discipline.
From Paperwork to Risk Management
In earlier years, customs brokerage was often viewed primarily as a documentation exercise.
If the required paperwork was present, the customs clearance could proceed. If something was missing, then the process was simply stopped.
Ton van Grinsven describes how straightforward that interaction could be.
“If there was no certificate of origin, the message was simply: I cannot clear these documents.”
Over time, however, the regulatory environment surrounding international trade has become more complex. Customs authorities increasingly focus on goods classification accuracy, origin verification, valuation rules, and compliance controls.
As a result, customs teams now operate much closer to the centre of risk management. Incorrect declarations can lead to delays, audits, retroactive duties, or penalties.
For businesses operating across multiple markets, these risks quickly multiply. Customs is no longer simply about processing documentation – it is about building compliance guardrails into supply chain operations from the outset.
If you are unsure about how to effectively build risk management into your procurement process, speak to our team for more information.
From Declarants to Advisors
The role of the customs professional has also evolved significantly.
Historically, declarants focused on executing instructions and submitting declarations. Their responsibility was to process the shipment according to the information provided.
Today, customs specialists increasingly act as advisors – working with clients to unlock the hidden benefits within the customs function. They explain regulatory requirements, identify potential compliance risks, and help businesses understand how trade rules affect operational decisions.
In many cases, they are the first point of contact when companies encounter complex trade scenarios.
Ton describes how communication with customers has changed.
“Nowadays you explain to the customer why you need certain documents. You explain that if they provide the certificate of origin, they can pay lower import duties. That part of the communication has completely changed.”
In other words, customs professionals no longer simply process information. They help interpret it, and advise on changes that can optimise the process.
This shift reflects a broader expectation within global trade: expertise matters, and businesses increasingly rely on customs specialists to translate regulatory complexity into practical decisions.
From Manual Processes to Data and Automation
Technology has also reshaped the customs landscape.
In the past, much of the work depended on manual input and individual expertise. Communication took place through phone calls, emails, and physical documentation. Data often moved slowly between systems and organisations.
Today, customs processes are increasingly integrated into digital supply chains – with those leveraging CustomsTech able to improve efficiency, decision-making, and audit response.
Structured data exchanges allow information to move quickly between businesses, customs authorities, and service providers. Automated declaration systems process large volumes of transactions efficiently, while digital platforms help ensure consistency across operations.
Ton highlights how even basic data handling has changed.
“Customers now provide data in structured formats so we can automate processes and integrate it directly into systems.”
Automation has not removed the need for human expertise. Instead, it has shifted the focus of customs professionals toward analysis, coordination, and advisory work – areas where experience and judgement remain essential.
At CSG, we have seen how a combination of artificial and real intelligence has allowed us to unleash the expertise of our 1,700+ customs specialists. With less manual input, they can pay more attention to the work that really moves the needle for our clients. If you could use their expertise, contact our team for more information.
From Back-Office Task to Strategic Consideration
Perhaps the most significant transformation is how customs expertise is positioned within the supply chain itself.
For many years, customs was primarily seen as a necessary administrative step – something that happened to trigger a tax payment at the end of a shipment’s journey.
Today, it is increasingly recognised as a strategic component of supply chain management.
Customs decisions influence how goods move across borders, where inventory is positioned, and how companies structure international trade flows. In some cases, the right customs approach can significantly reduce delays or operational costs.
Ton, who has been heavily involved in automotive supply chains, summarises this evolution succinctly.
“We don’t only talk about customs. We talk about solutions.”
That shift reflects a broader change in perspective. Rather than viewing customs as a barrier to overcome, businesses now recognise it as an area where expertise can create operational advantages.
What This Means for Businesses Trading Internationally
Taken together, these developments highlight how much the customs profession has matured over the past three decades.
International trade is more interconnected, more regulated, and more dependent on accurate data and specialist knowledge than ever before. Errors no longer sit with individual shipments, but can compound and remain undetected at scale.
Therefore, the cost of getting customs wrong has increased significantly.
Many organisations still approach customs as a transactional process: something handled at the end of a shipment’s journey. In today’s trading environment, that approach is increasingly difficult to sustain.
Consistency across countries, deeper regulatory understanding, and the ability to integrate customs processes into wider supply chain operations have become essential. Investment in your customs function is no longer a “nice to have”, but something that CFOs are paying close attention to.
Businesses operating internationally now require more than declaration processing. They need partners who can provide oversight across jurisdictions, translate regulatory complexity into operational decisions, and build customs processes that reliably scale with their supply chains.
At Customs Support Group, this shift has shaped the way we work with clients. Our combination of technical customs expertise, advisory capabilities, and digital tools supports companies trading across multiple markets.
Because in modern supply chains, customs is no longer simply about clearing goods. It is about enabling trade.
If you could use a strategic partner to help unlock the potential within your customs function, contact our team today.
