BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In a significant step to bolster cross-border security and streamline legitimate global commerce, the Dominican Republic and Belgium have formalized a new bilateral customs cooperation agreement. The memorandum of understanding, signed by top customs leaders from both nations, expands ongoing collaborative efforts to crack down on illegal activities linked to international trade, from customs fraud to transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking.
Nelson Arroyo, Director General of Dominican Customs, and Kristian Vanderwaeren, Administrator of Belgian Customs, put pen to paper on the agreement during a formal ceremony in the Belgian capital. The new framework creates structured pathways for deeper collaboration between the two nations’ customs agencies, including regular exchanges of official information and intelligence, shared risk analysis methodologies, and mutual learning around industry best practices. It also paves the way for coordinated joint enforcement operations, early warning systems to flag high-risk shipments, and closer alignment on priorities within the World Customs Organization, the global body that sets standards for international customs practice.
This latest agreement marks the third bilateral security pact reached by the two countries in 2024. It follows earlier accords between their national police forces and maritime security agencies that have already laid the groundwork for stronger cross-border security coordination. Beyond enforcement, the memorandum also deepens partnership between two key regional ports: the Dominican Republic’s Multimodal Caucedo Port and Belgium’s Port of Antwerp, one of the busiest container hubs in Europe. By aligning their customs enforcement efforts, both countries aim to strengthen the resilience of global supply chains, reduce security risks in the Caribbean and European regions, and speed up the movement of legal, legitimate trade between their economies and beyond.