The WCO (Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate) was invited to participate in the Technical Meeting on Radiation Safety in International Trade of Commodities, organized by the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety within the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The event was held from 1st to 4th August 2023 in the Vienna International Centre where the IAEA’s headquarters are located. The meeting was attended by 55 participants from 33 Member States and 8 International Organizations.

The objective of the meeting was to share and discuss national experiences in managing radiation safety in international trade of non-food commodities. The activities were developed in plenary and parallel sessions covering among others the following topics: International context and cooperation; decisions based on screening values and on safety assessment, measurement and monitoring programmes; information sharing, roles and responsibilities; and other considerations in trade such as challenges, facilitation, past practices and lessons learned.

The WCO explained the Harmonized System (HS) and presented the contribution of its Nomenclature to the protection of society and the environment and to the monitoring and control of international trade of substances, focusing on trade in radioactive sources. The contribution of the HS to risk assessment on goods contaminated with radiation sources was also highlighted.