View source for Finance:Customs territory

A '''customs territory''' is a geographic territory with uniform customs regulations and there are no internal customs or similar taxes within the territory. Customs territories may fall into several types:
* A [[Earth:Sovereign state|sovereign state]], including a [[Social:Federation|federation]]
* A [[Organization:Trade bloc|trade bloc]] that has a [[Finance:Customs union|customs union]]
* An autonomous or dependent territory {{Citation needed span|text=that is granted by the sovereign government some degree of  independence in foreign trade and customs policy.|date=July 2014}}

There are also some unregulated lands (usually uninhabited) not part of any customs territory.


The governing organs ([[Social:Government|government]] or other responsible administrative entity for the states and territories, [[Social:Secretariat (administrative office)|secretariat]] or similar international organization body for the trade blocs) of the customs territories negotiate and sign trade agreements. In some cases the negotiations are conducted by a trade bloc secretariat, but the actual agreement is signed by the member states of the trade bloc. It is also possible for a group of customs territories, that do not form a customs union (regardless if they cooperate as a different type of trade bloc), to negotiate trade agreements together and to sign the resulting agreement individually (for example, the [[Organization:European Free Trade Association|European Free Trade Association]]).

A customs territory usually has inspection stations at its borders. There can also be border checks between two parts of the same customs territory. For example, there are border checks between the Schengen Area portions of the EU customs territory and those portions in the Common Travel Area formed by the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies, and Ireland{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}. Another example is the border checks between Israel and the Palestinian Territories, which are in a customs union. The European Union example is particularly complicated, since it also has different boundaries for [[Finance:European Union value added tax#EU VAT area|EU VAT area]], the EU excise duty area, the area where EU law applies, and the area considered by the EU statistics agency{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}.

== List of customs territories ==

Countries which are members of a customs union, which in some cases may be considered a single customs territory:<ref>see the [[Finance:Customs union#Current|list of customs unions]] for references</ref>
* [[Finance:Andean Community of Nations|Andean Community of Nations]] (CAN)
** {{flag|Bolivia}}
** {{flag|Colombia}}
** {{flag|Ecuador}}
** {{flag|Peru}}
* [[Organization:Caribbean Community|Caribbean Community]] (CARICOM)
** {{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
** {{flag|Barbados}}
** {{flag|Belize}}
** {{flag|Dominica}}
** {{flag|Grenada}}
** {{flag|Guyana}}
** {{flag|Jamaica}}
** {{flag|Montserrat}}
** {{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
** {{flag|Saint Lucia}}
** {{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
** {{flag|Suriname}}
** {{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
** Other CARICOM member states, The Bahamas and Haiti are not a part of the customs union arrangement although Haiti is in the process of acceding.
* [[Organization:East African Community|East African Community]] (EAC)
** {{flag|Burundi}}
** {{flag|Kenya}}
** {{flag|Rwanda}}
** {{flag|Tanzania}}
** {{flag|Uganda}}
* [[Organization:Eurasian Customs Union|Eurasian Customs Union]]
** {{flag|Armenia}}
** {{flag|Belarus}}
** {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
** {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
** {{flag|Russia}}
** Russia unilaterally negotiated a free trade agreement (excluding sugar, alcohol, and tobacco) with {{flag|Abkhazia}} and {{flag|South Ossetia}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eurasianet.org/new-separatist-recruits-for-russias-customs-union|title=New Separatist Recruits for Russia's Customs Union|website=Eurasianet}}</ref>  These areas are claimed by {{flag|Georgia}}, which is not a member of the customs union.
* European Union Customs Union  (internal border checks) - includes the territory of {{flag|European Union}} member countries, excepting many areas outside of continental Europe, and some exclaves and border areas.<ref name="EUcustoms">Some of the special EU member state territories are covered by EU law (Art.52 TEU and Art.355 TFEU), but nevertheless remain outside the EU customs territory. {{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/documents/customs/procedural_aspects/general/sad/guide/1619-08annexi_en.pdf|title=Annex 1: Overview of European Union countries|accessdate=21 Apr 2014}}</ref>  (See Special member state territories and the European Union for a detailed list.)  Various treaties extend the EU customs area to include the non-EU states of:
** {{flag|Akrotiri and Dhekelia}}
** {{flag|Andorra}} (excluding agricultural produce)
** {{flag|Monaco}}
** {{flag|San Marino}}
** {{flag|Turkey}} (excluding agricultural produce)
* {{flag|Israel}} — {{flag|Palestinian Authority}} customs union (internal border checks)
* Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR)
** {{flag|Argentina}}
** {{flag|Brazil}}
** {{flag|Paraguay}}
** {{flag|Uruguay}}
** {{flag|Venezuela}}
** {{flag|Bolivia}} (pending as of May 2014)
* Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
**{{flag|Botswana}}
**{{flag|Eswatini}}
**{{flag|Lesotho}}
**{{flag|Namibia}}
**{{flag|South Africa}}
* {{flag|Switzerland}} — {{flag|Liechtenstein}} — Büsingen am Hochrhein customs union (no external border checks)

The customs territory of the {{flag|United States}} includes the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and {{flag|Puerto Rico}}.<ref>{{CodeFedReg|19|101.1}}</ref>  The following dependent United States territories are outside the customs territory and most administer customs separately:<ref>{{CodeFedReg|19|7.2}}</ref>
* {{flag|American Samoa}} - Government of American Samoa
* {{flag|Guam}} - Government of Guam
* {{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}} - Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
* United States Minor Outlying Islands
** Wake Island - Department of the Air Force General Counsel 
** Midway Islands - Department of the Navy
** Johnston Atoll - none
** (Other islands are uninhabited, although Palmyra Atoll, administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, is permanently staffed and has several private land parcels.  It has no customs administration or duties.)
* {{flag|US Virgin Islands}} - Federal rules as modified by the Virgin Islands legislature, but implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The following customs territories are outside the customs territory of the {{flag|People's Republic of China}}:
* Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
** {{flag|Hong Kong}}, autonomous territory of PR China
** {{flag|Macau}}, autonomous territory of PR China
* {{flag|Republic of China}}  (Taiwan) (officially titled as Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu or Chinese Taipei in the WTO)<ref>{{Citation
|url=http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/chinese_taipei_e.htm
|title=Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei)
|publisher=World Trade Organization
|quote=Chinese Taipei has been a member of WTO since 1 January 2002.
|accessdate=2014-09-10}}</ref>

* United Kingdom–Crown Dependencies Customs Union
** {{flag|Isle of Man}}
** {{flag|Guernsey}}
** {{flag|Jersey}}
** {{flag|United Kingdom}}

== See also ==
* [[Finance:List of free economic zones|List of free economic zones]]
* Customs area
* [[Finance:Economic integration|Economic integration]]
* Special member state territories and the European Union - multiple separate customs territories
* Member states of the World Customs Organization

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/introduction/article_403_en.htm|accessdate=2014-04-12|title=List of non-EU countries}}


[[Category:Economic integration]]
[[Category:Commercial policy]]

{{Sourceattribution|Customs territory}}