CUSTOMS HANDLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY WHY TECHNOLOGY IS CRUCIAL IN SUCCESSFUL GLOBAL TRADE WHITE PAPERHISTORY OF CUSTOMS Customs enforcement began more than 5,000 years ago. In the high cultures of Egypt and the Orient, customs was widely used to generate tax revenue and contribute to the financing of public expenditures. While initially conceived as a tari or toll for using roads, bridges, and harbour facilities to fund their upkeep, imposing duties developed into an instrument for protecting the domestic economy. Unwanted competitors from other countries were charged high fees to do business, keeping domestic products competitive. With the growth of industrialization and crossborder marketing of products and raw materials, these protectionist duties began to be seen as a t

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