Japan plans to propose in a ministerial meeting next week in Shanghai that information technology be used to cut procedural costs for customs clearance in the 21 Pacific Rim economies, Japanese officials said Friday.

Interconnecting electronic customs systems among the members of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is part of a package of measures Japan is preparing, the officials said.

The proposal is aimed at leading discussions in next year's APEC meetings in Mexico, which are expected to focus on facilitating trade, they said.