The World Customs Organization (WCO), with financial support from the Finland Project II for ESA, organized a National Workshop on Rules of Origin for Angola Customs. This Workshop was conducted in Luanda from 25 to 29 March 2019, and was attended by more than 40 officials from Angola Customs and several ministries and other agencies.

Angola will join the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Free Trade Area in June 2019. Within the framework of this agreement, there is a wide range of possibilities for cumulation with other partner countries in order to strengthen regional integration between SADC Members.

Topics discussed during the Workshop included the key concepts for proper origin determination, related operational and procedural issues, the establishment of an efficient organization and provision of effective training and private sector outreach. 

During the Workshop, the WCO facilitator presented the Revenue Package initiatives, including the Guidelines on Preferential Origin Verification and Origin Certification, which have been designed to assist WCO Members in bringing the provisions in Free Trade Agreements into smooth operation.

Participants discussed specific areas of concern, including the lack of knowledge and use of the FTAs and challenges linked to administrative cooperation. Discussions also emphasized the importance of verifying the originating status of goods, rather than merely checking the authenticity of the Certificate of Origin.

The knowledge and experience gained from the Workshop will assist the Administration in the correct application of Angola’s Free Trade Agreements, in particular the SADC Agreement and will help Angola benefit from the regional economic integration and promote exports of originating products while ensuring a correct application of preferential treatments for importations