TIME RELEASE STUDY

COMMUNICATION FROM NAMIBIA

The following communication, dated 17 November 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Namibia.

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Article 7.6 – Establishment and Publication of Average Release Times

The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Article 7.6, provides that "Members are encouraged to measure and publish their average release time of goods periodically and in a consistent manner, using tools such as, inter alia, the Time Release Study of the World Customs Organisation (referred to in this Agreement as the "WCO"). The Agreement also provides that "Members are encouraged to share with the Committee their experiences in measuring average release times, including methodologies used, bottlenecks identified, and any resulting effects on efficiency".

The first Time Release Study in Namibia was conducted at the Port of Walvis Bay from February 2023 to July 2023 and the second Time Release Study was conducted at the TransKalahari Border Post from 6 October 2023 to 25 March 2024. The surveys measured the time taken for goods to complete processes on import at the two points of entry/exit. Further, each process steps in the clearance process were examined to test the effectiveness of the processes at the two points of entry/exit and operational efficiencies.

The reports of the study are available on the following links:

https://www.namra.org.na/announcements/article/time-release-study-report

https://www.namra.org.na/announcements/article/time-release-study-trs--report-transkalahari-border-post-march-2025