Member states of the World Customs Organization explained

As of January 2023, the World Customs Organization has a total of 185 members. The European Communities (now: European Union) joined "on an interim basis akin to those enjoyed by WCO Members".

Members list with date of membership

The 185 WCO members include 179 United Nations member states, one United Nations General Assembly non-member observer state (the State of Palestine), as well as Kosovo and 4 customs territories which are dependent territories. Those 185 members and the European Union are divided into the following regional groups:^[1]

East and Southern Africa

^[2]

• United Nations member states
  • Angola— 1990-09-26
  • Botswana— 1978-08-25
  • Burundi— 1964-10-20
  • Comoros— 1993-07-01
  • Djibouti— 2008-03-19
  • Eritrea— 1995-08-08
  • — 1981-05-15
  • Ethiopia— 1973-08-06
  • Kenya— 1965-05-24
  • Lesotho— 1978-08-02
  • Madagascar— 1964-02-18
  • Malawi— 1966-06-06
  • Mauritius— 1973-03-29
  • Mozambique— 1987-07-01
  • Namibia— 1992-07-01
  • Rwanda— 1964-03-03
  • Seychelles— 2000-07-25
  • Somalia— 2012-10-04
  • — 2012-07-18
  • South Africa— 1964-03-24
  • — 1964-11-07
  • Uganda— 1964-11-03
  • Zambia— 1978-09-27
  • Zimbabwe— 1981-03-19

Europe

^[3]

• United Nations member states (founders in bold)
  • Albania— 1992-08-31
  • Andorra— 1998-09-03
  • Armenia^[4] — 1992-06-30
  • Austria— 1953-01-21
  • Azerbaijan^[4] — 1992-06-17
  • Belarus— 1993-12-16
  • Belgium— 1952-12-11
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina— 2008-07-04
  • Bulgaria— 1973-08-01
  • Croatia— 1993-07-01
  • Cyprus^[4] — 1967-08-31
  • Czech Republic— 1993-01-01
  • Denmark— 1951-10-19
  • Estonia— 1992-06-18
  • Finland— 1961-01-27
  • France— 1952-10-06
  • — 1993-10-26
  • Germany— 1952-11-04
  • Greece— 1951-12-10
  • Hungary— 1968-09-16
  • Iceland— 1971-02-15
  • Ireland— 1952-09-23
  • Israel^[4] — 1958-05-23
  • Italy— 1952-11-20
  • Kazakhstan— 1992-06-30
  • Kyrgyzstan^[5] — 2000-02-10
  • Latvia— 1992-06-22
  • Lithuania— 1992-06-18
  • Luxembourg— 1953-01-23
  • Malta— 1968-07-06
  • — 1994-10-28
  • Montenegro— 2006-10-24
  • Netherlands— 1953-01-23
  • ^[6] — 1994-07-01
  • Norway— 1951-08-06
  • Poland— 1974-07-17
  • Portugal— 1953-01-26
  • Romania— 1969-01-15
  • Russian Federation— 1991-07-08
  • Serbia— 2001-03-27
  • Slovakia— 1993-01-01
  • Slovenia— 1992-09-07
  • Spain— 1952-07-13
  • Sweden— 1952-10-17
  • Switzerland— 1952-12-19
  • Tajikistan^[5] — 1997-07-01
  • Turkey— 1951-06-06
  • Turkmenistan^[5] — 1993-05-17
  • Ukraine— 1992-06-26
  • United Kingdom— 1952-09-12
  • Uzbekistan^[5] — 1992-07-28
• non-UN member, partially recognised state
  • — 2017-01-25^[7]
• customs union

Far East, South and South East Asia, Australasia and the Pacific Islands

^[8]

• United Nations member states
  • Afghanistan— 2004-08-10
  • Australia— 1961-01-05
  • Bangladesh— 1978-07-01
  • Bhutan— 2002-02-12
  • Brunei Darussalam— 1996-07-01
  • Cambodia— 2001-04-03
  • — 1983-07-18
  • Fiji— 1997-07-01
  • India— 1971-02-15
  • Indonesia— 1957-04-30
  • — 1959-10-16
  • Japan— 1964-01-15
  • — 1968-07-02
  • — 2007-01-16
  • Malaysia— 1964-06-30
  • Maldives— 1995-09-08
  • Mongolia— 1991-09-17
  • Myanmar— 1991-03-25
  • Nepal— 1986-07-22
  • New Zealand— 1963-05-16
  • Pakistan— 1955-11-16
  • Papua New Guinea— 2002-03-18
  • Philippines— 1980-10-01
  • Samoa— 2001-10-01
  • Singapore— 1975-07-09
  • Solomon Islands— 2023-01-26
  • Sri Lanka— 1967-05-29
  • Thailand— 1972-02-04
  • — 2003-09-19
  • Tonga— 2005-07-01
  • Vanuatu^[9] — 2009-11-17
  • — 1993-07-01
• dependent, customs territories
  • Hong Kong— 1987-07-01
  • — 1993-07-07

North of Africa, Near and Middle East

^[10]

• United Nations member states
  • Algeria— 1966-12-19
  • Bahrain— 2001-04-18
  • Egypt— 1956-10-26
  • Iraq— 1990-06-06
  • Jordan— 1964-01-01
  • Kuwait— 1993-10-04
  • Lebanon— 1960-05-20
  • Libya— 1983-01-11
  • Morocco— 1968-07-01
  • Oman— 2000-09-11
  • Qatar— 1992-05-04
  • Saudi Arabia— 1973-05-08
  • Sudan— 1960-06-08
  • — 1959-11-19
  • Tunisia— 1966-07-20
  • United Arab Emirates— 1979-02-07
  • Yemen— 1993-07-01
• United Nations General Assembly non-member observer state
  • — 2015-03-24

South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean

^[11]

• United Nations member states
  • Antigua and Barbuda— 2017-04-10
  • Argentina— 1968-07-01
  • Bahamas— 1974-08-16
  • Barbados— 1999-01-07
  • Belize— 2008-04-22
  • — 1997-08-14
  • Brazil— 1981-01-19
  • Canada— 1971-10-12
  • Chile— 1966-07-01
  • Colombia— 1993-07-11
  • Costa Rica— 2001-08-29
  • Cuba— 1988-07-01
  • Dominican Republic— 2004-07-28
  • Ecuador— 1997-12-16
  • El Salvador— 2005-07-07
  • Guatemala— 1985-02-22
  • Guyana— 1976-07-29
  • Haiti— 1958-01-31
  • Honduras— 2005-12-08
  • Jamaica— 1963-03-29
  • Mexico— 1988-02-08
  • Nicaragua— 1998-09-24
  • Panama— 1996-03-08
  • Paraguay— 1969-10-03
  • Peru— 1970-01-27
  • Saint Lucia— 2005-05-12
  • Suriname— 2018-11-26
  • Trinidad and Tobago— 1973-10-15
  • United States— 1970-11-05
  • Uruguay— 1977-09-16
  • — 1996-07-01
• dependent, customs territories
  • — 1988-07-11
    • Aruba
      • • • • • Bermuda— 1990-07-01

West and Central Africa

^[12]

• United Nations member states
  • Benin— 1998-11-09
  • Burkina Faso— 1966-09-16
  • Cameroon— 1965-04-09
  • Cape Verde— 1992-07-01
  • Central African Republic— 1986-07-28
  • Chad— 2005-02-16
  • — 1972-07-26
  • — 1975-09-02
  • Cote d'Ivoire— 1963-09-02
  • Equatorial Guinea— 2021-12-22
  • Gabon— 1965-02-18
  • Gambia— 1987-10-14
  • Ghana— 1968-08-01
  • Guinea— 1991-10-30
  • Guinea-Bissau^[13] — 2010-08-19
  • Liberia— 1975-01-07
  • Mali— 1987-08-07
  • Mauritania— 1979-10-02
  • Niger— 1981-07-01
  • Nigeria— 1963-08-21
  • ^[14] — 2009-09-23
  • Senegal— 1976-03-10
  • Sierra Leone— 1975-11-06
  • Togo— 1990-02-12

Non-Members

The following states and territories are not members of the WCO:

United Nations member states

• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Grenada
• Dominica
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• San Marino
  • Palau
• Marshall Islands
  • Kiribati
• Tuvalu
• Nauru

States not members of the United Nations

• • Cook Islands
• Niue

The following states with limited recognition are not members of the WCO:

• • • • • • Western Sahara

Notes

1. http://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/wco-members/wco-regional-websites.aspx WCO Regional Websites
2. http://www.wcoesarocb.org East and Southern Africa group
3. http://www.rocb-europe.org Europe group
4. Located entirely in Western Asia, but having strong sociopolitical connections with Europe.
5. Located entirely in Central Asia, but having strong sociopolitical connections with Europe.
6. Membership under the provisional appellation the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. See Macedonia naming dispute.
7. http://www.kryeministri-ks.net/?page=1,9,6611 Kosova anëtarësohet në Organizatën Botërore të Doganave
8. http://www.wcoasiapacific.org Far East, South and South East Asia, Australasia and the Pacific Islands group
9. The Republic of Vanuatu on November 18, 2009 became the 176th member of the WCO. http://www.wcoomd.org/press/?v=1&lid=1&cid=6&id=196
10. http://www.wcoomd.org/ North of Africa, Near and Middle East group
11. http://www.wcoamericaribe.org/en South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean group
12. http://www.omdaoc.org West and Central Africa group
13. WCO Membership. http://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/wco-members/membership.aspx
14. São Tomé and Príncipe on September 24, 2009 became the 175th member of the WCO http://www.wcoomd.org/press/default.aspx?lid=1&id=192

External links

• WCO membership List