A Sub-regional Workshop for the ASEAN Member countries on the Harmonized System (HS) and Advance Rulings for the classification of goods was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 16 to 20 October 2023.  The Workshop was organized jointly by the WCO, Thai Customs and the ROCB Asia-Pacific (AP), with the sponsorship of the Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) of Japan.  It was facilitated by two experts of the WCO Secretariat, an expert from Japan Customs, a WCO accredited expert from Cambodia, and attended by 19 officials from Customs administrations of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, who work on tariff classification related areas.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Nunthita Sirikup, the Deputy Director-General of Thai Customs, highlighted the importance of HS classification as one of the pillars of Customs work.  She pointed out the impact of tariff classification in international trade and recognized the need of imparting the necessary knowledge to the officials working in this area to be compliant with the provisions of the latest edition of the HS.  She also emphasized the pivotal role of the HS and tariffs in ensuring correct and efficient administration of various trade measures, and expressed her appreciation to the WCO and Japan Customs for working together with the ASEAN Member countries to strengthen this important technical area.

Mr. Norikazu Kuramoto, the Director of the ROCB AP, thanked the WCO and Japan Customs for the ongoing capacity building support.  He expressed his confidence on the practical benefits for the participants and their Customs administrations after the discussions on a wide range of topics on tariff classification held during the Workshop.

During the Workshop, participants from Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand presented their respective HS classification work model and Advance Rulings systems.  The presentations by these administrations gave the opportunity to all participants to discuss their common challenges and possible solutions related to HS classification and Advance Ruling processes.

The main focus of the Workshop was to ensure uniformity in the interpretation and application of the HS Nomenclature 2022 and to improve institutional capacity to implement classification in an efficient manner, including through the Advance Rulings system.  Furthermore, the Workshop offered an opportunity to better explore the WCO tools and instruments to assist HS classification.  At the request of the participants, the experts explained in more detail the classification of products of Sections XVI to XVIII.

The participants worked on case studies of tariff classification in different sectors such as agricultural products, plastics, rubber, textiles, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, and vehicles.

All participants expressed their appreciation to the WCO and Japan Customs for the support provided to the capacity building in the HS and in other areas.

In closing the Workshop, Ms. Namthip Pongsa-ngiam, the Director of Thai Customs Academy,emphasizedthe importance of the Workshop to create opportunities for effective exchange of information and fruitful discussions on the HSbetween the WCO experts and the participants.