On 03 March the World Customs Organization (WCO) announced the release of its new online tool, www.wcotradetools.org, which compiles information to support international trade actors in the classification of goods and the determination of the corresponding Customs tariffs and taxes. This new database offers a single point of access to the Harmonized System (HS), preferential Rules of Origin (RoO) and Valuation, through a completely new, user-centric and ergonomic interface.
In addition to a new interface design and new search engines, this new platform offers the following key features:
- Ability to cross-reference information by using a comparison tool in the HS and RoO.
- A direct overview of the most recent HS updates, highlighting the changes introduced.
- A system for tracking the evolution of the HS codes across editions, using a “History” tool.
- A facility for searching through the Product-Specific Rules in more than 200 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and access to the corresponding HS entry.
The new platform will also promote cooperation among the different teams within Customs administrations, as well as with Customs brokers and companies, through various features such as the possibility to tag information, write comments and share folders. It offers the possibility of further enhancing use of the platform; users can search through the extensive databases, as well as organising and storing the content according to their personal preferences.
This new tool includes the 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 editions of the HS, around 200 FTAs with their preferential RoO/product specific recommendations, and the set list of Valuation texts, including those of the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation.
Story by: Riaan de Lange