The World Customs Organization has been pursuing correct and uniform application of the Harmonized System Convention (Harmonized System or HS), since its introduction on 1 January 1988.  Correct and uniform application of the HS in an efficient manner facilitates international trade and investment and promotes compliance with fiscal and trade rules or laws.  One of the most practical means for reaching this goal are the WCO Recommendations.  Contracting Parties to the HS and WCO Members are invited to adopt such Recommendations.

Recommendations do not bind the Contracting Parties to the HS, except where it concerns a Recommendation to amend the HS itself.  The list below refers to the non-binding Recommendations only.  When adopted by a Customs administration, this administration obligates itself to implement the Recommendation by taking the necessary steps at national level, e.g., by enacting new national legislation, or by amending existing law.

HS related Recommendations are prepared by the Harmonized System Committee and presented to the WCO Council for approval.  The WCO Council may also amend, replace or withdraw existing Recommendations.

For more information about the Recommendations related to the HS, download the information sheet: WCO Recommendations related to the Harmonized System Convention [ru]

• Insertion in national statistical nomenclatures of subheadings to facilitate the collection and comparison of data on the international movement of certain substances, controlled under the Rotterdam Convention  (22 June 2023) (Amended 27 June 2024) [ru]

• Insertion in national statistical nomenclatures of subheadings to facilitate the collection and comparison of data on the international movement of waste oils containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at a concentration level of 50 mg/kg or more, controlled under the Basel Convention (22 June 2023)

• Insertion in National Statistical Nomenclatures of subheadings for Substances Controlled under the Convention on the Prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction (18 June 1996) (Amended 25 June 1999, 1 July 2006, 24 June 2011, 14 July 2016, 24 June 2021 and 22 June 2023)  
  

• Standard units of quantity to facilitate the collection, comparison and analysis of international statistics based on the Harmonized System 2022 Edition (24 June 2021)   
  

• Insertion in National Statistical Nomenclatures of subheadings to facilitate the collection and comparison of data on the International Movement of Substances controlled by virtue of amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the ozone layer(1 July 2006) (Amended 24 June 2011 [ru] and 24 June 2021)  
  

• Insertion in National Statistical Nomenclatures of subheadings to facilitate the monitoring and control of products specified in the Protocol concerning firearms covered by The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime  (29 June 2002) (Amended 24 June 2011) [ru]

• Recommendation of 1995 on the insertion in national statistical nomenclatures of subheadings to facilitate the collection and comparison of data on the international movement of substances controlled by virtue of amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer (20 June 1995) (Amended 24 June 2011) [ru]

• The application of Harmonized System Committee Decisions (30 June 2001) [ru]

• Insertion in National Statistical Nomenclatures of subheadings to Facilitate the Collection and Comparison of Trade Data on handmade products (7 July 2000) [ar]* [ru]

• Improvement of Tariff Classification work and related infrastructures (25 June 1998) 

• Reporting of Trade Data to the United Nations Statistics Division (19 June 1997) [ru]

• Introduction of the programmes for binding pre-entry classification information (18 June 1996) 

• The insertion in commercial invoices of the code number for the classification of goods in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (5 July 1989) [ru]

* WCO Instruments/Documents translated in Arabic by Saudi Customs