Navigating multi-layered customs: How high-value assets cross borders without delay

Moving high-value assets such as gold, banknotes, and other sensitive commodities across borders has always been complex — but in 2026, the pressure is higher than ever. Shifts in global regulation, heightened financial crime controls, and geopolitical uncertainty have made customs environments more layered, data-driven, and less tolerant of procedural error.

UNCTAD’s ASYCUDA Programme, the world’s largest digital customs system, is now running or being implemented in 102 countries and territories. This reflects a global shift toward electronic pre-arrival processing and automated clearance. 

As digital systems expand, even small errors in valuation, classification, or documentation can create outsized disruption. For central banks, refiners, bullion traders, and financial institutions, predictable movement through customs is foundational to liquidity planning and market stability.

Why customs for high-value assets is uniquely complex

High-value shipments sit at the intersection of multiple regulatory domains. They may be examined by customs authorities, border police, financial intelligence units, and central bank regulators, with each entity applying its own criteria. 

Rather than a single checkpoint, shipments undergo a sequence of overlapping verifications, where issues such as inconsistent documentation, valuation discrepancies, or mismatched seal numbers often trigger additional inspections.


The World Customs Organisation’s SAFE Framework makes clear that high-value, high-risk goods such as precious metals and currency attract enhanced scrutiny because of their liquidity, portability, and relevance to AML and counter-terrorist-financing controls. 

For experienced operators, the challenge is not the number of rules, but the interaction between them across multiple authorities and jurisdictions.

Regulatory requirements in 2026

Across 2024–2026, many jurisdictions have continued strengthening their AML/CFT and customs frameworks — a trend reflected in FATF’s ongoing country evaluations and legislative updates, where numerous nations have revised laws relating to financial transparency, beneficial ownership, and cross-border declarations. 

For high-value assets, this shift toward digitisation means customs clearance has become increasingly dependent on data accuracy and timing. Many jurisdictions require: precise valuation aligned with current market pricing and purity, verified ownership and title documentation, import/export licences that vary by jurisdiction, AML/KYC information acceptable to both customs and financial regulators, an unbroken chain-of-custody record from vault release to arrival.

With regulatory updates occurring regularly across multiple continents, compliance for high-value shipments is a constantly moving target that must be recalibrated for each jurisdiction.

How delays increase risk and cost

In high-value logistics, time is never neutral. Every additional hour at a customs warehouse increases:

• Security exposure, particularly to insider threats or documentation-handling errors
• Cost and insurance exposure, driven by carrier- and terminal-imposed storage, handling, and security charges, alongside heightened insurance risk while cargo remains stationary
• Operational disruption, impacting central bank cash availability, refinery feedstock cycles, or trading positions

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) notes that customs clearance delays are one of the top three causes of shipment value degradation in secure air cargo, due to increased handling, storage, and time-at-risk.

For institutions managing liquidity, production schedules, or market timing, delays are not administrative setbacks — they are financial risks.

Where operational precision matters — and how we support it

Navigating multi-layered customs environments demands both compliance expertise and operational discipline. At Ava, our model is structured around these requirements.

Because we operate without fixed transport assets, we can select the most suitable and secure local partners for each movement rather than relying on a single infrastructure network. This flexibility is supported by:

• physical audits of partners
• country-level risk ratings
• ongoing operational governance
• a dedicated in-house Risk Management Team responsible for investigations and standard operating procedures oversight.

These structures help ensure we meet the expectations of customs authorities across regions with differing levels of regulatory maturity.

As part of our secure international services, we assist clients with customs-ready documentation, valuation requirements, and licensing preparation. Our Customer Experience Platform provides real-time visibility, documentation access, and proof-of-delivery — reducing the likelihood of secondary checks or clearance delays.

These capabilities do not replace compliance; they reinforce it with predictable, risk-informed execution.

Customs relationships: the often-unseen advantage

Efficient customs clearance is shaped as much by operational predictability as by documentation. Familiarity with local procedures, regulatory expectations, and the practical realities of each customs environment often determines whether a clearance takes hours or days.

Through our vetted partner network, selected through physical audits, country-level risk ratings, and ongoing governance, we work with organisations that understand the regional customs landscape and operate within established compliance frameworks. Their local insight helps reduce the likelihood of reinspection, prevent avoidable delays, and ensure documentation aligns with jurisdictional requirements.

Predictability comes from systems; smooth movement comes from well-governed partnerships.

Why predictability matters more than ever 

In 2026, customs clearance for high-value assets sits at the intersection of regulation, geopolitics, and operational precision. Success depends on deep compliance intelligence, strong authority relationships, and disciplined execution at every checkpoint.

For organisations moving gold, banknotes, or other sensitive commodities, the ability to navigate multi-layered customs regimes remains one of the most important safeguards in global logistics.

Talk to us about secure cross-border operations

If your organisation is planning cross-border movements of high-value assets in 2026, we can support you in assessing customs requirements, identifying operational risks, and preparing compliant documentation flows.  

We cover six continents, with regional offices in major cities across the globe. Speak with one of our Ava experts to explore how risk-led logistics can support your financial or commodity objectives.