Brussels, 12 June 2015
Press release
On 12 June 2015, Sierra Leone and Djibouti deposited with the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization their instruments of accession to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System).
Considering that more than 98 % of international merchandise trade is classified in terms of the Harmonized System, the World Customs Organization is pleased to welcome Sierra Leone and Djibouti as the 152nd and 153rd Contracting Parties to the Harmonized System Convention and looks forward to their active participation with respect to Harmonized System matters.
Sierra Leone has been a Member of the World Customs Organization since 6 November 1975. Sierra Leone is located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia. The country’s principal export commodities are diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee and fish. The country’s principal import commodities are foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, and chemicals.
Djibouti has been a Member of the World Customs Organization since 19 March 2008. Djibouti is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia. The country’s principal export commodities are hides and skins, coffee (in transit) and scrap metal. The country’s principal import commodities are foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products and clothing.
The Harmonized System Convention will enter into force in Sierra Leone on 1 January 2017, unless Sierra Leone decides to specify an earlier date. Djibouti has specified that the Harmonized System Convention will enter into force in Djibouti on 1 September 2015.