This paper highlights the growing importance of trade facilitation as a key enabler of the implementation of environmental objectives in global supply chains. As environmental requirements increasingly extend across product lifecycles, the effectiveness of their implementation depends not only on regulatory design, but also on how well they are operationalised at the border. By expanding the OECD TFIs through an environmental lens, the analysis provides a structured and operational framework to assess how trade facilitation systems support environmental traceability, compliance and performance without undermining efficiency and predictability in cross-border trade.
The findings point to meaningful progress, particularly in transparency and the basic digitalisation of procedures, which have improved the accessibility of information and reduced administrative burdens in many cases. At the same time, the analysis underscores that deeper integration remains uneven across countries and lifecycle segments. Persistent gaps in inter-agency co‑ordination, data interoperability and governance frameworks continue to limit the ability of trade facilitation systems to effectively implement environment-related requirements, particularly in more complex areas such as end‑of‑life flows and circular economy-related trade. These constraints are often institutional rather than technical, reflecting the multi-actor nature of environmental traceability and the need for coherent policy alignment across authorities.
Moving forward, strengthening the integration of environmental considerations into trade facilitation frameworks will be essential. Priority areas include improving the clarity and usability of information, advancing and expanding interoperable digital systems, enhancing risk management capabilities and reinforcing co‑ordination both domestically and across borders. In this context, the env‑TFIs offer a practical diagnostic and benchmarking tool to support targeted reforms and monitor progress over time. More broadly, advancing these areas can help ensure that trade facilitation continues to enable competitive supply chains that can support environmental objectives.