Over 120 in-person delegates and observers, with more on-line, joined the 43rd session of the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (TCRO) held from 5 to 7 February 2025 in Brussels.
This session held special significance as it coincided with the 30th anniversary of the WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin and the subsequent establishment of the TCRO. To mark this milestone, a special panel was organized to reflect on three decades of progress, achievements, lessons learned, and the way forward. The panel featured experts from the WTO, UNCTAD, and ICC, along with former and current TCRO chairpersons.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Gael Grooby, Acting Director of the Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate, welcomed the delegates and underscored the importance of the session. She expressed appreciation for the strong participation and emphasized the value of the insightful discussions, meaningful collaborations, and innovative solutions that will shape the future of both preferential and non-preferential rules of origin.
Members actively exchanged experiences and deliberated on various technical issues, including origin interconnectivity, product-specific rules, origin irregularities, origin and green customs initiatives, origin issues in Free Zones/Special Economic Zones, and the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) Specific Annex K. These discussions highlighted the evolving nature of rules of origin. Additionally, the Draft Potential Texts for Specific Annex K to the Revised Kyoto Convention were presented, demonstrating collaborative efforts with the Annex K Sponsoring Group to update and enhance this document.
The TCRO also reviewed the progress of its existing Work Programme and endorsed updates to the TCRO Work Programme 2024–2026. These updates include studies on the treatment of circular economy products, such as remanufactured goods, as well as updates to WCO Guides on Free Zones, covering rules of origin within these zones. The increasing focus on sustainability in origin-related practices, was highlighted with delegates expressing strong interest in collaborating with the Secretariat on issues related to origin and green customs initiatives.
Additional discussions covered key topics such as the outcome of the self-assessment phase of the first cycle of the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM) and progress on the Smart Customs Project. The WTO Secretariat provided a comprehensive report on the Committee on Rules of Origin’s activities, offering valuable insights for the TCRO. Meanwhile, both UNCTAD and ICC shared updates on their ongoing projects and initiatives.
Furthermore, the TCRO examined and supported several ongoing WCO activities, including updates on the WCO Guide to Origin Irregularities. The Secretariat also provided updates on activities carried out in 2024 and presented the use of WCO Trade Tools to facilitate trade-related activities.
Delegates reiterated the importance of continuous capacity-building activities and the need for active engagement from stakeholders, including the private sector, to ensure efficient, inclusive, and accessible trade facilitation systems.
The 43rd TCRO session served as a dynamic platform for in-depth deliberations, collaborative efforts, knowledge sharing, and the development of innovative solutions that will shape the future of rules of origin frameworks, facilitating seamless global trade and economic development. This session not only witnessed the highest number of in-person participants but also proved to be one of the most engaging to date.
For more information on the WCO's work related to rules of origin, please visit the WCO website: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/origin.aspx