Well, to answer the title of this blog – yes, I did learn lots of
things. It’s always interesting to hear
about tariff classification examples and learning about them from the WCO Harmonisation
System Committee who makes the Legal Decisions and writes the HS Code was
brilliant. I’ve got lots of new examples
to add to our own tariff classification training.
I’ve never spent a whole day concentrating on one GIR before – that’s General
Interpretative Rule of the HS Codes which you use to get the most appropriate
number. (Sorry if you’re none technical
or not really interested in Customs Procedures … and if you’re not – why not!!!) A full day looking at how to use GIR3 in
classifying mixtures, sets and composite goods – I must be sad but I found it
fascinating and the time just flew. One
of the guys was struggling a bit – he’s new to customs issues and doesn’t have
good basic knowledge. I found myself turning
on trainer mode and before I knew what was happening at the breaks I had a
little group listening to me explaining about how to read the tariff schedule
and how the 6 GIRs fit together. I’m
also booked for some more sessions this weekend.
Before we knew it the 30 of us from all over the world were saying
goodbye and taking pictures … but most of us are back next week for valuation
and origin (20 hours training on each topic). Great!
Some of the delegates are going home though – that was sad – but we’ll
have new people joining us next week. I
now have contacts in Customs in Nigeria, Singapore, Brazil, Zambia, the Congo,
Sri Lanka, India, Jamaica and an invite to talk at a conference in Sao Paulo
Brazil in November and at a Customs Conference in Trinidad next March. Others are taking advantage of their EU VISA
and going to Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, etc this weekend. The WCO have a trip planned tomorrow –
chocolate houses, museum and the European Parliament tour before a meal together
in a Turkish restaurant. I’m looking
forward to it; though I can’t believe how tired I am. It is hard being a delegate/ student … I must
remember that for next time I’m the tutor.
I've come across some of these, and found them fascinating. They made me try to think up a range of difficult scenarios, before my mind turned to spaghetti. I wish I had the time and finances to have attended. I'm spending far too much time undertaking non-international trade activity at present.
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