Bridgetown port implements new customs system

Barbados' Bridgetown port will run a new Asycuda++ automated system for customs data to process all imported or exported goods that enter or leave the port, the government announced on its website. With the Asycuda++ system, customs declarations would no longer be processed by customs officers but by importers, exporters or brokers directly via internet from an office or home. "In the case where importers would have their goods examined on premises, they could facilitate the process by ensuring a computer system with internet access was available for use by the customs examination officer," the customs office said. Bridgetown port was built in the early 1960s and expanded during the mid-1970s. In the last few years, it has experienced growth in both cargo handling and cruise ship visits.