WCO World Customs Organization : The Members of the WCO MENA region are ending preparations to implement the 2017 edition of the HS

A Regional Workshop to assist WCO Members of the WCO Middle East and North Africa Region with the uniform interpretation and application and the timely implementation of the Harmonized System Nomenclature 2017 Edition and the improvement of fair, efficient and effective revenue collection, in addition to advance rulings, sponsored by Japan Cooperation Fund, was held at WCO RTC for the MENA Amman, Jordan, from 11 to 15 December 2016. Eighteen Customs officers representing 6 Customs Administrations of the WCO MENA Region (Bahrain; Palestine; Qatar; Sudan; Saudi Arabia; and Jordan) participated in this workshop, facilitated by accredited experts from Jordan Customs and Lebanon.

During the Workshop, comprehensive explanations on the scope of the HS 2017 amendments were presented, including the background to their development, with a view to ensuring the uniform interpretation and application of the HS Nomenclature 2017 Edition by Customs Administrations in the MENA Region. An overview of the trade facilitation agreement with a focus on Article 3, concerning the Advance Rulings, the Technical Guidelines on Advance Rulings for Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin and the Diagnostic Tool on Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin Work and Related Infrastructure, developed under the WCO Revenue Package Phase II, were also presented to respond to the Members' needs in respect of fair, efficient and effective revenue collection. Also, the new Guide for Technical Update of Preferential Rules of Origin was presented. The Guide provides practical information on how to conduct a technical update of Rules of Origin in relation to changes in the Harmonized System.

During the workshop, the participating countries presented the current status regarding their Administration's implementation of the HS 2017 amendments and shared experiences and challenges in modernizing and improving their classification work and infrastructure. These Administrations foresee no difficulties with the implementation of the complementary amendments featured in the Council Recommendation of 11 June 2015 also on 1 January 2017.