World Customs Organisation

The purposes of the subject “World Customs Organisation (WCO)” are the following:

1. To know the role of the World Customs Organisation
2. To understand the key concepts related to the customs: non-tariff barriers, customs valuation, transaction value, previous inspection, rules of origin, and import licenses
3. To know the Harmonised System and the existing conventions

Description (World Customs Organisation)

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) is the sole intergovernmental body fully working on customs and international trade (imports and exports).

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) keeps the International Harmonised System products nomenclature and manages the technical aspects of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.

The World Customs Organisation works in the following fields:

1. International trade standards development
2. Simplification and harmonisation of the Customs Procedures (imports and exports)
3. International Trade supply chain security
4. International trade facilitation
5. Customs enhancement and accordance activities, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) has developed the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonised System - “HS”), an international product nomenclature. 98% of the international trade in goods use the Harmonised System.

The BIC Code (International Identification Codes of Container Owners) is accepted by the World Customs Organisation (WCO):

1. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
2. Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
3. Pre-shipment Inspection
4. Anti-dumping Measures and Safeguards
5. Import Licensing and Quotas

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) member countries are:

The European Union, The customs territories of Netherlands Antilles, Bermuda, Hong Kong and Macau, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, People's Republic of China, Colombia, The Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Republic of Macedonia, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, the Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini (Swaziland), Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, East Timor, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, The United Kingdom, The United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

No members Countries of the World Customs Organisation: Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Somalia, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Palau, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, Cook Islands, Niue and Palestinian Authority, Taiwan, Sahrawi Republic, Kosovo.