Talks on the Notyhern Ireland Protocol (NIP) will continue next week after an inconclusive meeting between the chief negotiators. The Brexit Minister Lord Frost said the gap between UK and EU positions is “still significant”. The European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said that a “decisive push is needed to ensure predictability”. The two …

The hassle of removing laptops and liquids from bags at Heathrow security is set become a thing of the past after the London airport signed a £50million deal for cutting-edge bag-screening technology. Also T2 has the new smart Border scanners. The equipment from FTSE100 engineering giant Smiths Group uses 3D images and advanced explosives …

Today I was invited to Swedish Customs IT department (Tulldata) to deliver a lecture on ”How to navigate in a digital post-pandemic global trade landscape”. It was great to be ”back home” with an organization where I spent 28 years of my life, talking about the future trends of digital customs and trade. Great …

Today Sweden, one of the most gender equal countries in the world, got our first female Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson (Social democrate). 100 years exactly since women received the right to vote in our country. Better late than never, being the last Nordic country with a female PM. It is important to say though …

Amazing interview with Swedish football superstsr Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Milan and Sweden player talks about barging César Azpilicueta, the Premier League and the secret of his longevity. ”It is not easy. Every day I wake up, I have pain everywhere,” Zlatan Ibrahimovic says as he resists the inevitable end on a beautiful afternoon at …

The last 18 months have made businesses realise that it is too expensive to be unprepared. As companies initiate a paradigm shift from just-in-time to just-in-case, end-to-end visibility has become a priority. However, if customs isn’t effectively integrated into the supply chain, a crucial link in information is broken both upstream and downstream. On …

Recent numbers suggest that digitalisation in logistics over the last 12 months has advanced as much as in the previous five years put together. See this infographic “Accelerated innovation: transformation through turbulence” produced by (E) Brand Connect, a commercial division of The Economist Group. Click here: https://www.maersk.com/freight-management

U2 may be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Achtung Baby this month, but their focus is on the future as they continue to work on a follow-up to 2017’s Songs of Experience. Just minutes before the Edge hopped on Zoom with Rolling Stone last week to talk about some of the band’s lesser-known Achtung …

The digitization and harmonization of customs is an important success factor for trade and its important role in financial recovery post pandemic landscape. You can read about this and much more in the WTO’s recent report: World Trade Report 2021 “Economic resilience and trade”. To read the report, click here: World Trade Report 2021

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not feared many sobs his long career. Not even Gennaro Gattuso. In the 2010/11 season, Ibrahimovic and Gattuso played for the eventual Serie A champions. Back then, few players would have dared to invite the ire of Gattuso, but rather unsurprisingly, Ibrahimovic wasn’t at all intimidated by his veteran teammate. One …

It was also great to meet Norway Customs Director General Øystein Børmer at the Norway Customs Day today. A man with a vision for the future. This was indeed an excellent professional event. I am happy to have participated.

A National Customs Day is like coming home for me, meeting friends and colleagues from Government and business. One of the many people I met was my old KGH colleague and friend Thor Edqvist.

Today I participated in the annual Norway Customs Day #tolldag in Oslo. This is an excellent event where Norway Customs invites trade & industry to an open dialogue, providing a great platform for cooperation. I delivered a Key Note Speech in the opening session & participated in a panel discussion together with Customs Director …

It is always a pleasure to visit to our close sisters & brothers in the west. I habe always liked Norway. My best friemd in the woröd is from Norway. Tonight I am preparing for my speech tomorrow. feeling like I am on top of Oslo, the beautiful city.

Tomorrow I speak at the Norwegian Customs Day 2021 (Tolldagen) in Oslo. Will you be there too? Customs has never been more important than now – but it will be more imports t tomorrow.

Here is the UK statement from Lord Frost after yesterdays’ meeting with The European Union & Maros Sefcovic There have been some progress made, the tone is changing. However most experts are still not sure on the outcome of dialogue. My view is that there will be more talks, more activities, more water under …

Yesterday I was invited as expert to give advise and discuss the future of customs with the European Commission, DG Taxud Wise Persons Group. Good discussions with and interesting questions from the group members

This week I have been in Amstwrdam and Brussels for meetings. In Brussels I have had a number of great meetings with various organizations. I have had my base as always in my old ’hoods’ and ’hunting gorunds’ around Place Rogier, where the the heartlamd of global customs has its epicentre with the World …

Travelling again. The world is still in pandemic mode but with safe routines including EU Vaccine passport, tests, masks, social distancing it is possible to travel again. It feels great to meet colleagues and friends.

Today I chaired the Customs and Smart Borders session IBMATA Europe Summit Brussels. I also moderated a panel on latest trends in Customs & Trade Facilitations at Borders with a brilliant group of experts, Gordon Wright from DHL, Dorji Phuntsho from WCO and Frank Heijmann from Dutch Customs. During the smart borders panel session …