The World Customs Organisation (WCO) has announced the release of its June WCO News magazine, which focuses on the Harmonised System (HS), one of the WCO’s flagship instruments, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Several articles look at the history of the HS, its maintenance system, the critical role it plays for a number of actors, the challenges related to its implementation, and whether a structural revision is now necessary.
The magazine also covers a series of articles addressing the topic of illicit financial flows (IFFs), including its links to the smuggling of minerals such as gold. Several administrations and experts also took the time to share their experiences in data analysis, the protection of cultural goods, assessing the clearance process, managing epidemic crises, building practical skills, and the storage and destruction of counterfeit goods.
The articles, divided into three categories, include:
DOSSIER: HARMONISED SYSTEM
Personal reflections from an HS expert
Is the HS still fit for purpose?
The HS and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Thoughts from the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations
How the HS adapts to product developments
How industry engages on classification matters at the WCO
FOCUS: ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS
Wrap-up of the WCO Conference on Illicit Financial Flows and Trade Mis-invoicing
Overview of German Customs’ fight against illicit financial flows
Trade in minerals: Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone launch a Customs verification portal
Burkina Faso: the problem of gold smuggling
INTERVIEW
Storage and destruction of counterfeit goods: the safety and environmental challenges