Responding favourably to the request by the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU, also known by its French acronym, UEMOA), the Secretariat of the World Customs Organization (WCO) sent two experts to Ouagadougou to conduct the Customs Valuation Training Workshop held from 22 to 26 November 2021 for Customs officers from the WAEMU Member States.

Forty Customs officers from eight WAEMU Member States, who were predominantly experts and trainers in Customs valuation, attended the Training Workshop.

The various aims of the Workshop included enhancing the participants’ technical capacities with regard to the Customs valuation of imported goods, promoting within the WAEMU the harmonized application of Customs value as defined by Regulation No. 05/1999/CM/UEMOA of 6 August 1999 on the Customs value of imported goods, and guiding Member States – when determining that value – towards the provisions of that Regulation for the purpose of paying the appropriate Customs duties, value added tax and excise duties.

In the light of the objectives of the Workshop, and in response to the organizers’ request, the teaching on Customs valuation was prepared in such a way as to promote harmonized measures for the interpretation and application by all WAEMU Member States of the WTO Customs valuation rules. Focus was also placed on the importance of strengthening the regulatory framework in respect of Customs valuation efforts within the WAEMU.

It is expected that this specific capacity-building activity will allow its beneficiaries to step up their support for efforts to promote the uniform application of the WTO Customs Valuation and Trade Facilitation Agreements within the WAEMU.