The Valuation Sub-Directorate is the section in the Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate of the World Customs Organization that deals with Customs valuation matters in relation to the WTO Valuation Agreement (“the Agreement”).
Customs valuation, along with classification and preferential origin, is a main pillar in the determination of Customs duty liability. The Agreement provides the methodology for establishing a Customs value in order to ensure effective and efficient revenue collection by Customs Administrations. Additionally, the Agreement is a trade facilitation tool, designed to establish a fair, uniform and neutral system for the valuation of imported goods.
The Sub-Directorate’s prime roles are :
- To provide advice and support to WCO and WTO Members in the interpretation and application of the Agreement
- To manage and facilitate the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation (TCCV) which is established in the Agreement itself as the body responsible for ensuring at the technical level, uniformity in interpretation and application of the Agreement.
- To maintain the WCO Valuation Compendium which contains the text of the Agreement and over 100 instruments of the TCCV, including Advisory Opinions, Case Studies and Commentaries on key valuation issues
- To conduct training and capacity building events
These roles involve, inter alia, responding to written requests for advice received from Members, preparation of working documents and reports for the TCCV and coordination with delegates and the Chairperson.
Technical assistance and capacity building programmes are another important priority for the Sub-Directorate, provided via national and regional seminars, workshops and training courses. Events are tailored to the needs of the country or region in question and provide assistance in such areas as the strengthening of technical valuation knowledge, development of valuation controls (in particular, via post-clearance audit and risk assessment tools) and other implementation issues connected to the Agreement.
Various tools have been developed for WCO Members, including:
- Basic and Intermediate/Advanced valuation training modules
- e-learning programmes
- Practical Guidelines for Valuation Control (as part of the Revenue Package)
The Sub-Directorate also participates in international Customs and trade forums on key valuation issues (such as the impact of transfer pricing on Customs valuation) and liaises with partner organizations such as the WTO and OECD and also with the private sector via the ICC.