The classification of goods depends on the interpretation even at a country level.
For example, at the two ports of Malaysia where different customs checkpoints charge
different duties at these ports for same goods (15 per cent at Port Klang and 25 per cent at
Johor port). In Brunei, customs officials are not well educated in the classification
system. So, the shippers have to rely on whatever they say. In Brunei and Thailand,
customs official can change the classification codes arbitrarily and intentionally.
In Indonesia and Cambodia, there is language problem, as codes are in English and
customs official do not fully understand English. Also there is a lack of knowledge
among customs officials in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, especially regarding technical
goods such as electronics where addition of a new component to the product requires
change in classification. In addition, Indonesia and Thailand do not allow the import of
any used parts, which increases the potential of goods miscalculation.
4.1.4 Lack of border crossing coordination. Border crossing coordination is a problem
at both the national and regional levels. Although trade facilitation is routinely mentioned
as a primary objective by regional border agencies, border-crossing coordination between
regional neighbors remains a secondary priority. Long-standing rivalries between
headquarters and border crossing points, as well as a tradition of police control over
borders, have led some border agencies to closely protect their individual mandate, versus
the overall objective of optimizing the efficiency of border crossing points as a whole.