From 16 to 20 September 2024, representatives from ECOWAS Member States held a study visit to the World Customs Organization Headquarters at the occasion of the 74th session of the Harmonized System Committee (HSC). This study visit was a follow up to several consultations and work plans established at national and regional level as part of the ongoing support to ECOWAS and its Member States under the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), funded by the European Union.

The study visit brought together tariff experts from some ECOWAS Member States namely;  Gambia, Guinee, Guinee-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, and Sierra Leone as well as representatives from the ECOWAS Commission. The visit intervened as a significant step towards strengthening and sustaining organisational capacities and competency development in the area of tariff classification, and related matters such as advance rulings.

In parallel to their participation to the HSC, it was also an opportunity for the ECOWAS Commission to hold consultation meetings with its Member States to discuss various matters among which were the roadmap for the migration of HS 2028 and the challenges in commodity tariff classification faced at regional and national level. The meeting underscored the importance of aligning the ECOWAS Member States Commodity classification with the international standards and this stood out as one of the many ways to resolve the classification discrepancies among Member States. It was also agreed to promote continued attendance to the HSC meetings going forward and encourage the submission of proposals to the HSC to present certain challenges that may not easily be resolved at regional level.

During the parallel meeting, ECOWAS and its Member States also held consultations with the European Commission to improve the Member States collaboration on tariff classification, ensure consistency in tariff classification and enhance the capabilities in establishing a regional advance ruling system. The EU shared best practices with the ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS Member States, highlighting key issues aimed at fostering collaboration, harmonizing classification work, putting in place a sound HS migration framework with time bound processes for submission of HS Proposals within a Customs union. They also deliberated with their peers on practices for a sound Binding Tariff Information (BTI) in the union.

The outcomes of this Study Visit are intended to improve and strengthen tariff classification work at national and regional level as well as create greater collaboration among the Member States. It is also an initiative foreseen to further encourage more participation in the future meetings of the HS Committee.

For more details, please contact wcoHSAfrica@wcoomd.org.