A news release from the WCO announced that HS 2022, which is the seventh edition of the Harmonized System (HS) nomenclature, and which is used worldwide for the uniform classification of goods traded internationally, shall enter into force on 1 January. The HS serves as the basis for Customs tariffs and for the compilation of international trade statistics in 211 economies. The new HS2022 edition makes some major changes to the Harmonized System with a total of 351 sets of amendments covering a wide range of goods moving across borders – and the news release identifies some of the highlights, including –
- Electrical and electronic waste (with specific provisions for its classification);
- New provisions for novel tobacco- and nicotine-based products (which resulted from the difficulties of the classification of these products, lack of visibility in trade statistics and the very high monetary value of this trade);
- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly referred to as drones, also gain their own specific provisions;
- Major reconfigurations for the subheadings for glass fibres and articles thereof, and for heading for metal forming machinery;
- Many new subheadings have been created for dual-use goods that could be diverted for unauthorised use (such as radioactive materials and biological safety cabinets, as well as for items required for the construction of IED, such as detonators);
- Flat panel display modules;
- Infectious disease outbreaks has led to changes (such as for diagnostic kits, placebos and clinical trial kits for medical research);
- A number of new provisions specifically provide for various dual use items – these range from toxins to laboratory equipment;
- Goods specifically controlled under various Conventions have also been updated (Chemical Weapons Convention, for certain hazardous chemicals controlled under the Rotterdam Convention and for certain persistent organic pollutants (POP) controlled under the Stockholm Convention); and
- New subheadings have been introduced for the monitoring and control of fentanyls and their derivatives as well as 2 fentanyl precursors.
The amendments also include clarification of texts to ensure uniform application of the nomenclature.
Any modest contributions for my time and ongoing expenses are welcomed! I have a page where you can do so, and where one-off contributions start as low as $3, at https://www.buymea3coffee.com/KoIvM842y
raytodd.blog 