1. The Parties acknowledge the importance of customs and trade facilitation matters in the evolving global trading environment.

2. The Parties shall, to the extent possible, cooperate and exchange information, including information on best practices, to promote the application of and compliance with the trade facilitation measures in this Agreement.

3. Measures to facilitate trade shall not hinder mechanisms to protect a person through effective enforcement of and compliance with a Party’s law.

4. Import, export and transit requirements and procedures shall be no more administratively burdensome or trade restrictive than necessary to achieve a legitimate objective.

5. Existing international trade and customs instruments and standards shall be the basis for import, export and transit requirements and procedures, except if these instruments and standards would be an inappropriate or ineffective means for the fulfilment of the legitimate objective pursued.