Under the framework of the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme, funded by the European Union, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation, through GIZ, held a national training workshop on rules of origin for Côte d’Ivoire Customs. The workshop was held in Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, from 3 to 7 July 2023 with the objective to assist Côte d’Ivoire in enhancing its knowledge and application of preferential rules of origin in the light of the imminent implementation of a national advance rulings mechanism. The advanced training workshop built on from the skills and knowledge acquired by participants in the intermediate training conducted in May 2023.

In their opening remarks, Mr Thierry Domy, Economic Policy Advisor for the GIZ Côte d’Ivoire Advance Rulings Programme, and Lt-Colonel Ehouman Hugues Adea, Head of Continued Training at the National Customs School, representing the Director General of Customs, thanked the WCO and the EU for their continued support in building capacity on rules of origin and stressed the economic benefits of advance rulings for the economic operators as well as for Customs in terms of enhanced predictability and transparency which lead to enhanced levels of trade facilitation.

During the workshop participants dug deeper into key concepts for proper origin determination, including cumulation, as well as related operational and procedural issues, including origin certification and verification. Case studies allowed the participants to detangle the spaghetti bowl of rules of origin in various free trade agreements applicable in Côte d’Ivoire and they also had the opportunity to observe the practical application and management of rules of origin through study visits to a producer and exporter of originating products and a Customs border office.

The EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme will continue its work with Côte d’Ivoire Customs to equip Customs officials and relevant stakeholders with extended knowledge for efficient implementation and application of rules or origin. The Programme, again in partnership with the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation, will conduct a training of trainers. This will enable selected Customs officers to advance further in their study to become trainers in Origin, enabling them to further build Origin capacity in Côte d’Ivoire by training Customs officers and other relevant stakeholders.

For further information please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org