The World Customs Organization (WCO), within the framework of the agreement between the WCO and Bahamas Customs and Excise Department (BCED) and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), organized a National Workshop on the development of an advance ruling system for classification, origin and valuation. This Workshop, conducted in Nassau from 18 to 22 February 2019, was attended by 16 Customs officers and was building on the results of a practical application of the Diagnostic Tool on Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin Work and Related Infrastructure which had been done in May 2018.
The participants worked on 4 main action points stemming from the action plan developed during the workshop in May 2018: drafting of Departmental Instructions concerning the application for an advance ruling, designing a template for an advance rulings decision letter, drafting public information on advance rulings and creating an online searchable database of gazetted rulings.
The workshop focused on the practical implementation of advance rulings which will play a vital role in promoting trade facilitation, as required by the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, which entered into force on 22 February 2017. Advance rulings are an important feature in resolving disputes prior to importation, promoting the development of trade and encouraging investment.