Throughout its relatively short lifespan, bilateral agreements on customs technical and administrative cooperation represent one of the main axes in the FCA regional and international file. Regarding this file, the FCA departs from the basis that it is the official federal customs authority concerned with customs affairs, not to mention international obligations as an active member in the World Customs Organization, the World Trade Organization and international community.
Agreements on mutual technical and administrative cooperation in customs affairs are considered among the most important conventions underscored by World Customs Organization for several reasons, on top of which are the following:
- Effective agreements contribute to reduction of customs legislative violations that reciprocally disturb economic, commercial, financial, social and cultural interests of the two countries.
- Playing a role in ensuring exact calculation and collection of custom duties and other taxes and dues on exported and imported goods, as well as implementation of judgments related to prohibition, restriction and control.
- Enforcement of actions against customs violations, in close cooperation between the two countries.
- Putting an end to increase in the volume and current of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs psychotropic substances, being a threat to public health and society.
- Taking into account relative international conventions that encourage bilateral mutual assistance, as well as recommendations of the World Customs Organization.
- Enforcing customs cooperation in a way that serves common interest, prepare an appropriate climate to facilitate and encourage trade exchange and economic relations in general between the two countries.
- Consequent exchange of experiences and expertise between customs administrations of the two countries, especially in technical and administrative fields.
- Availability of the need for international cooperation in matters relating to management and application of customs legislation of the two countries.
The authority also seeks, through the file of bilateral agreements, to transform the goal it has adopted as a motto since the beginning of its work, that is "Towards secure society … and fair trade", into a reality on ground, through protecting local society from negative economic, social and health impacts of forged and duplicate goods, monitoring the movement of dual-use materials, preserving intellectual property rights and rules of origin, and in the meantime facilitate movement of trade between the UAE and its trading partners around the world.
International bilateral agreements are also intended to achieve both sides of the targeted customs equation, namely "secure society and fair trade" through a number of basic axes that are contained in the agreements, including enhancement of joint international cooperation in the area of customs affairs, combating violations that harm the security, economy and safety of the community, improving customs awareness and culture through exchange of expertise and information, establishment of joint training courses, issuance of legislations and regulations that facilitate passage for passengers and flow of goods, as well as highlighting the role of Customs (Authority) as an economic partner rather than a taxation authority. Other axes include furnishing agreements with basic rules that protect information relating to the legitimacy of access to information, using it for legitimate purposes, its adequacy for the purposes for which it is required and securely storing it.
During the past years, the UAE signed bilateral agreements with the following Countries:
- Islamic Republic of Pakistan 2006
- Republic of Algeria 2007
- The Republic of Azerbaijan 2011
- Republic of India 2012
- The Republic of Kazakhstan 2012
- Republic of Argentina2013
- Republic of Armenia 2013
- Republic of Maldives 2014
- Republic of South Korea 2015
- The Kingdom of Morocco 2015
- Kingdom of the Netherlands 2015
