At the invitation of the Norwegian Customs Administration the Secretariat attended the Norwegian tariff classification seminar in Lillestrøm, Norway, on 5 and 6 September 2016. Classification experts from Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Sweden also attended the seminar, which was conducted in Norwegian.

Around 20 specific tariff classification issues raised by the six Norwegian Customs regions were discussed. Since views were often divided, the participants argued well for their position on the classification, but in most cases a common conclusion was reached. However, it was decided that the Norwegian Administration should submit one or perhaps two issues to the Harmonized System Committee for examination, as had also been the case in the past.

During the seminar, the Secretariat representative made a detailed presentation on the HS-2017 amendments and the representative from Denmark informed the attendees about recent classification issues considered by the EU’s Customs Code Committee.

The Norwegian Customs Administration issues more than 4500 classification rulings per year and the participants emphasized the importance of the rulings being issued at the regional level to avoid loss of classification expertise in the regions.

The seminar provided a good opportunity for the tariff classification experts from the Norwegian Customs regions and the Customs Directorate to consider issues of common interest with the aim of ensuring uniform classification. The active participation of the foreign guests was also appreciated by the Norwegian Administration