A Service-oriented Infrastructure for Advanced Cross-border Trade

This paper presents an advanced e-custom infrastructure designed to streamline trade procedures, prevent potential security threats and reduce tax related fraud in cross-border trade. The paper focuses on the advantages of service infrastructure for the implementation of highly distributed systems, making use of internet to distribute and exchange data. In particular we highlight the use of service oriented architecture (SOA), web services, and smart seals in an integrated framework named EPCIS. The EPCIS system and its infrastructure are presented and analyzed in relation to the strategic objectives for future e-custom systems as expressed by the World Trade Organizations (WTO) and the authorities in major trading nations. The paper highlights the main advantages of use of such an architecture. The concrete case included in the paper illustrates how service oriented applications can ensure a more secure and advanced solution for monitoring goods along its supply chain. As a conclusion we highlight the fact that novel technologies are the main drivers of IT innovation, however the case study showed that organizational and political decisions are key for diffusion and adoption of such advanced solutions