The WCO Refresher Workshop for WCO accredited and pre-accredited expert trainers on Rules of Origin for the Asia-Pacific (AP) Region concluded successfully after five days of insightful discussions and knowledge sharing. This workshop, funded by the Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF-China), was held from 4 to 8 March 2024, at the WCO Regional Training Center in Shanghai, China. A total of 12 WCO accredited and pre-accredited expert trainers on Rules of Origin from the A/P Region actively participated in this workshop.

In his opening remarks, Mr. WANG Xiaogang, Vice President of the Shanghai Customs College, expressed gratitude to the WCO for choosing China to host this refresher workshop, providing a platform for participants to learn, exchange ideas, undergo further training, and progress with the support of the China Customs Fund (CCF-China). Mr. WANG highlighted the important role of the workshop in enhancing the region's capacity to navigate the complexities of rules of origin, ensuring that all participants achieve fruitful learning outcomes. He also underscored that this is an opportunity to enable more customs officials to learn about the cooperation concept of "Smart Customs, Smart Borders, Smart Connectivity" from China Customs and understand how China Customs can utilize the  Smart Customs project to advance customs modernization reforms.

During the five-day workshop, the participants presented and shared the core fundamentals of rules of origin and their practical application through various presentations and scenario-based practical studies. Over the workshop's duration, experts engaged in active discussions covering a wide range of outstanding sessions, including regional challenges related to ongoing FTA negotiations and those already in force, and the sharing of best practices and experiences, which further enriched the learning experience.

Additionally, the participants familiarized themselves with the new WCO Accredited Experts (ACE) Portal, which was launched in September 2022. As part of the training, the Secretariat gave presentations on WCO ongoing activities regarding the Feasibility Study on the Interconnectivity Framework for the Certificate of Origin. The participants were also updated on the WCO newly published tools like Study on the Digitalization of the Certificate of Origin and ongoing studies such as the Study on Accumulation/Cumulation and the Study on Product-Specific Rules.

At the conclusion of the workshop, all participants unanimously acknowledged that the event provided an invaluable opportunity to explore highly technical subjects and refine their acquired training skills. Moreover, the workshop facilitated networking and collaboration among experts, providing a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, and cultivate valuable partnerships that will enhance customs practices in the Asia-Pacific region. The knowledge acquired during the workshop will be disseminated within Customs Administrations and among other stakeholders through a series of capacity-building activities.