·
WTO
members discussed issues related to Preshipment Inspection (PSI) at the
8 June meeting of the Committee on Customs Valuation.
·
Discussions
focused on:
o Future Committee work on PSI.
o Updating PSI-related notifications.
o Modernizing the Independent Entity
established under the PSI Agreement.
o Improving engagement with businesses and
inspection agencies.
·
PSI
involves governments hiring specialized private companies to verify imported
goods before shipment, including:
o Price,
o Quantity,
o Quality.
·
The
WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection requires governments
using PSI services to uphold:
o Non-discrimination,
o Transparency,
o Protection of confidential business
information.
·
Committee
Chair Judith Kuo
reported on an informal session held on 20 April.
·
The
session included:
o Private sector presentations on PSI
challenges.
o Presentations by Cambodia and Pakistan on
their PSI systems.
o A WTO Secretariat overview of the PSI
Agreement and the Independent Entity that helps resolve disputes between PSI
agencies and exporters.
·
Members
suggested:
o Updating PSI notifications.
o Reforming and modernizing the Independent
Entity.
o Organizing thematic sessions with
inspection companies and business representatives to discuss current PSI
practices.
·
The
Committee reviewed 34
customs valuation notifications submitted by members.
·
Côte
d'Ivoire submitted its first customs valuation
notification.
·
Reviews
of customs valuation legislation were completed for:
o Belize
o The Gambia
o Moldova
o Nepal
o Paraguay
·
Overall:
o 121 WTO members have notified their
customs valuation legislation.
o 95 members have submitted implementation
checklists under the Customs Valuation Agreement (CVA).
·
The
World Customs Organization reported on recent work of its Technical Committee
on Customs Valuation.
·
The
International Chamber of Commerce delivered presentations on:
o Circular economy,
o Carbon credits,
o E-commerce fulfilment centres.
·
For
the second time, Indonesia raised concerns regarding Mexico's use of estimated
prices in customs valuation.
·
Mexico
responded that estimated prices are used to combat import tax evasion and not
to determine customs value.
·
The
next formal meeting of the WTO Committee on Customs Valuation is scheduled for 23 November.
[ABS News Service/11.06.2026]
WTO
members examined a number of questions related to preshipment
inspection (PSI) at an 8 June meeting of the Committee on Customs Valuation. Drawing
on recent private sector input and member experiences, the discussions focused on
future Committee work related to PSI and how PSI issues should continue to be addressed.
The Committee also examined 34 customs valuation notifications submitted by members
for review and a trade concern raised by one member.
Preshipment inspection refers to the practice by governments
of employing specialized private companies to check shipment details - essentially
price, quantity and quality - of imported goods. The WTO's Preshipment
Inspection Agreement recognizes that WTO principles and obligations apply to preshipment inspection agencies mandated by governments and
obliges governments using such services to respect principles such as non-discrimination,
transparency, and protection of confidential business information.
Members
heard a report from the Committee Chair, Ms Judith Kuo (Chinese Taipei), on an informal
session on 20 April which included presentations from private sector speakers on
issues and challenges faced with respect to PSI requirements. The session also included
presentations from Cambodia on its implementation of PSI arrangements and from Pakistan
on its Preshipment Inspection Administration. The WTO Secretariat also provided a historic overview
of the PSI Agreement and the Independent Entity, which was set up under the PSI
Agreement to help resolve disputes between preshipment
inspection agencies and exporters.
The
report generated an engaged discussion among delegations in attendance about possible
follow-up actions. Several members welcomed
the report and requested follow-up on issues such as updating PSI notifications
and modernising the Independent Entity. A
suggestion was also made for thematic sessions to hear from inspection companies
and business representatives on current PSI arrangements.
These
suggestions are expected to be taken up in informal consultations with the next
Committee Chair.
Notifications
The
Committee reviewed 34 notifications pertaining to the customs valuation legislation
of members, including the first notification from Côte d'Ivoire. The Committee concluded
reviews of the customs valuation legislation of five members (Belize, The Gambia,
Moldova, Nepal and Paraguay).
The
Chair noted that 121 members had notified their national legislation on customs
valuation, and that 95 members had provided responses to the checklist of issues
regarding implementation of the Customs Valuation Agreement (CVA).
World Customs Organization,
International Chamber of Commerce
As
part of the standing agenda item of the meeting, a representative from the World
Customs Organization (WCO) reported on latest developments at the WCO's Technical
Committee on Customs Valuation, including questions posed by members in their implementation
of the CVA. The representative also referred to presentations by the International
Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on circular economy, carbon credits, and e-commerce fulfilment
centres.
Trade concern
For
the second time, Indonesia raised a concern regarding Mexico's implementation of
estimated prices for customs valuation purposes. Mexico replied that the use of estimated prices
was used for cracking down on import tax evasion and not to determine the customs
value of imported products.
Next meeting
The
next formal meeting of the Committee will take place on 23 November.