As part of its training activities, the National Tax and Customs Office of Colombia (DIAN) organised an international workshop on the VII Amendment to the Harmonized System for the Americas region.
The workshop was held virtually on 4 May 2022 and it was attended by near 600 participants from Customs Administrations, traders and customs brokers of the Americas and the Caribbean region, showing the importance of this topic.
During her opening remarks, Lic. Ingrid Díaz Rincón, Director of Customs Management of the DIAN – Colombia, welcomed participants and emphasized the key role that the Harmonized System plays for all Customs Administrations during importations, exports and transits. She thanked the WCO for its contribution to the development of the workshop, building capacity on the Harmonized System and its VII Amendment and highlighted the importance of its successful adoption by the countries of the Region.
The WCO`s Secretariat was represented by three technical officers who focused on raising awareness on the Harmonized System Convention, the process of adopting the 2022 Amendments, the HS 2022 tools available on the WCO website and provided a comprehensive explanation of the 2022 modifications to the HS.
The countries represented in the event (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Spain), discussed the importance of the HS and the challenges faced by them during the adoption of the VII Amendment.