Celebrating 30 years of Customs valuation

13 April 2010

“Looking back, looking forward”

Celebrating 30 years of Customs valuation

Brussels, 13 April 2010

Press Release

A special occasion was celebrated today during the recent Session of the WCO Technical Committee on Customs Valuation; the 30th anniversary of the GATT/WTO Valuation Agreement.

WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, said, “Valuation is a key Customs activity and the Agreement is one of our core Customs instruments. I am very pleased that this event is so well attended and equally pleased that the Customs community is able to celebrate this auspicious occasion in the presence of a representative from the WTO, as valuation has been an intrinsic part of the long history of cooperation between the WCO and the WTO on global trade issues “.

To mark the event delegates were invited to take stock of the Agreement and examine the challenges it continues to pose too many Customs administrations in the modern international trading environment.

Some challenging ideas and concepts were discussed; it was recognized that the commercial world has changed radically over the past 30 years and that difficulties arise in the application of the Agreement (which hasn’t changed over that period). Topics included obstacles to implementation of the Agreement, the use of valuation databases, exchange of information, transfer pricing and the needs of the business sector.

Participants included a number of familiar names from the Valuation world, past and present, including previous Chairpersons of the Technical Committee, ex-officials from the WCO Valuation Sub-directorate, and long-standing delegates of the Technical Committee.

Further initiatives will be considered by the Technical Committee and the Secretariat to explore the key points arising from this landmark event.

Click on the links to view the brochure and poster created on the occasion of the anniversary.

Haga clic en los enlaces para ver el folleto y el póster editados con ocasión de este aniversario.