The Harmonized System and tariff classification work have always been recognised as critical components in a modern Customs administration and as one of the priorities of the WCO. Indeed, mastering the Harmonized System is like exploring the universe: there is an endless variety of goods to discover, inevitably leading to a number of unprecedented classification questions and challenges.

Many of those questions were, however, answered during the national Workshop on the Harmonized System hosted by the Customs Administration of Kazakhstan in Almaty from 9 to 12 November 2015. More than 50 tariff classification managers and Customs officers dealing with classification matters in their day-to-day work attended the event. The Workshop was financially supported by the Eurocustoms fund.

The Workshop created an excellent opportunity to present and discuss the new Revenue Package instruments launched in June 2015 - the Diagnostic Tool on Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin Work and Related Infrastructure, the Guidelines on Customs Infrastructure for Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin, as well as the Technical Guidelines on Advance Rulings for Classification, Origin and Valuation.

Practical dimensions of tariff classification such as the use of the General Interpretative Rules, landmark decisions of the HS Committee, implementation of HS amendments featured prominently on the programme of the event. In order to illustrate the theory, numerous classification case studies were presented and discussed during the Workshop.

Being part of a comprehensive modernisation effort by the Customs Administration of Kazakhstan, the Workshop was set to bring about a lasting improvement of the classification work and ensure a higher level of uniformity in the approach to the classification matters in the country.