The World Customs Organization (WCO) announced that, in pursuit of its efforts to implement the 2022 version of the Harmonized System (HS2022) in a timely manner, the East African Community (EAC) had held a regional meeting of tariff experts from 15 to 19 March in Moshi, Tanzania. It was jointly organised by the EAC Secretariat and the WCO, within the framework of the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), funded by the European Union.
The objective of the meeting was to transpose the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) to the HS2022. Participants reiterated the importance of a well-coordinated approach to the implementation of HS2022 amendments for EAC Partner States, to fully respect their commitments of Contracting Parties to the HS Convention and of signatories of the EAC Treaty.
During the meeting, the HS2022 amendments were considered and incorporated in the draft EAC CET 2022. In addition, a comprehensive review of the CET was carried out to ensure that the draft includes all amendments to the EAC CET that had been published in EAC legal gazettes starting from July 2017, and that all typographical errors are rectified.
The meeting was an important step in the process of the preparation of the HS2022 version of the EAC CET. The meeting concluded by recommending to EAC policy organs that they adopt the EAC CET 2022, with the entry into force on 01 January 2022.
Story by: Riaan de Lange