The Chair updated members on the current notification status regarding customs valuation legislation. Under Article 22 of the Customs Valuation Agreement and the Decision on “Notification and circulation of national legislation in accordance with Article 22 of the Agreement”, members must submit the complete texts of their national legislation on customs valuation in one of the three official WTO languages. They should also inform the Committee of any changes in their laws and regulations relevant to this Agreement and in the administration of such laws and regulations.
Following the consideration of 34 specific notifications at the Committee meeting, the Chair noted that to date 117 members have notified their national legislation on customs valuation and 87 members have provided responses to a checklist of issues. The Chair welcomed nine new notifications that resulted directly from the Customs Valuation Workshop on notifications organized by the Secretariat in May to assist developing and least-developed members with notifications.
The WTO Secretariat outlined that the workshop benefitted from the expertise and diverse experiences of the participating customs officials, and the expertise of a World Customs Organization (WCO) official who participated in the delivery of the workshop. Each workshop participant developed a concrete action plan outlining steps and milestones for completing their notification projects, which have been followed up on by the Secretariat.
The workshop also benefitted from the experience shared by representatives from members who had recently submitted customs valuation notifications. In additional technical assistance updates, the Chair also informed members that a national workshop on the Customs Valuation Agreement will take place in Nigeria from 21 to 25 January 2025. It will be delivered by the WTO Secretariat together with a valuation expert identified in conjunction with the WCO.
The Committee also oversees the PSI Agreement. PSI is the practice of employing private companies to check shipment details such as price, quantity and quality of goods ordered overseas. At its meeting in November 2023, the Committee launched the 6th triennial review in accordance with Article 6 of the Agreement. This requires members to carry out a triennial review in order to review the provisions, implementation and operation of the Agreement, taking into account its objectives and the experience gained in its operation. The current status of all PSI notifications is contained in an updated summary document.
Having entered into force on 1 January 1995, 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Customs Valuation Agreement. The Chair said this is a “significant achievement worth celebrating by the Committee”, which will be celebrated with a special event in the margin of the next Committee meeting on 9 May 2025. It will be the occasion to highlight how the Agreement has been key to ensuring the stability and predictability in customs valuation over the past 30 years.
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