World Customs Organisation

EENI- School of International Business

Subject: The World Customs Organisation (WCO). The Harmonised System. Syllabus:

1. Introduction to the World Customs Organisation (WCO)
2. The Harmonised System (HS) of the World Customs Organisation
3. Customs Valuation
4. Rules of Origin
5. The Agreement on Rules of Origin of the World Trade Organisation
6. Customs Enforcement and Compliance
7. SAFE Package
8. Customs Procedures and Facilitation
9. Conventions:
   1. The Revised Kyoto Convention
   2. The ATA System
   3. The Customs Convention on Containers
10. Case Study: market access map

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

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 licences
3. To know the Harmonised System and the various existing conventions

Sample of the subject: The World Customs Organisation (WCO)

Description of the Subject (World Customs Organisation):

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

The 177 members of the World Customs Organisation represent 98% of the total foreign trade.

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. Development of global standards of the international trade
2. Simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures (imports and exports)
3. International Trade supply chain security
4. Facilitation of the international trade
5. Enhancement of customs 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 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, Congo, the Republic of the, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Republic of Macedonia, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Republic of), 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, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, The United Kingdom, The United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Countries not members of the World Customs Organisation: Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, Guyana, 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.