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Thirty-five delegates representing countries and international/regional organisations in the Asia Pacific region participated in a Green Customs Forum in Jeju (Republic of Korea) from 3-6 November … 2009. Discussions centred on the efforts made by Customs to protect the environment.

The World Customs Organization has issued a list of recommended amendments to the Harmonized System (HS) nomenclature that will enter into force on 1 January 2012. Affected goods include certain … animals and animal products, foods and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, spices, etc.), chemical substances, wood products, textile products, machinery, furniture and video game consoles. These recommendations were adopted by the WCO Council in June 2009 and WCO Members have six months to register any objections.

The WCO has established a global database of preferential trade agreements and related rules of origin in accordance with the Action Plan to improve the understanding and application of preferential … rules of origin endorsed by the WCO Council in June 2007.

The two day WCO conference focusing on the application of rules of origin around the world took place in Brussels (Belgium) from 16-17 June 2008. With rules of origin now a prominent feature … of today’s trading system given the plethora of regional trade arrangements that exist and those that are under negotiation across the globe, the issue has become more topical than ever. These rules enable preferential arrangements to be more effectively implemented; the positive benefits of which include the development of trade and the encouragement of foreign investment.

The dramatic rise in the number of preferential trade arrangements, together with complex and often confusing rules of origin are some of the increasing challenges facing both customs administrations … and the business community.

The Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) came into being at the same time as the Brussels Nomenclature and the Brussels Definition of Value (BDV), and these two Conventions formed the pillars of … the Organization at its beginnings in 1952. As time went on, international trade developments gathered pace and Customs’ missions evolved. At the same time, demand for use of the Nomenclature grew not only for Customs revenue collection purposes, but also for manifold socio-economic reasons. As a result, the Brussels Nomenclature developed into the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS). This System, which entered into force in 1988, is the common language for global trade.