 RESTRICTED  
  
G/VAL/W/388  
 
1 November  2023 
(23-7392) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Customs Valuation    
 
REPORT ( 2023) OF THE COMMITTEE ON CUSTOMS VALUATION  
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
DRAFT  
1. BACKGROUND  
1.1. The Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
Trade  1994 (the Agreement) entered into force on 1 January 1995. This report covers the period from 
5 November  2022 to 15 November  2023 and addresses the work undertaken by the Committee on 
Custo ms Valuation (the Committee) in respect of the objectives of the Ag reement. These are:  
to provide greater uniformity and certainty in the implementation of the provisions of Article VII of the 
GATT 1994; to establish a fair, uniform and neutral system for the valuation of goods for customs 
purposes that precludes the use of arbitrary o r fictitious customs values; to ensure that the basis for 
valuation of goods for customs purposes should, to the greatest extent possible, be the transaction 
value of the goods being valued; and to secure additional benefits for the inter national trade of 
developing countries.  
1.2. During the period under review , the Committee held two formal meetings. The first meeting 
took place on 24 May 2023 ( G/VAL/M/75 ) and was chaired by  Mr Frank RITTNER (Germany), who 
was elected on 30 May 2022  (G/VAL/M/7 5). The second meeting took place on 15 November 2023 
(G/VAL/M/76 )1 and was chaired by Mr Omar CISSE (Senegal), who was elected on 5 June 2023.  
1.3. Participation in the Committee is open to all WTO Members. In addition, Governments granted 
observer status by the WTO General Council attended Committee meetings as observers. At the 
April 1997 meeting, the Committee granted observer status to those organ izations which until then  
had observer status on an ad hoc  basis, namely UNCTAD and the WCO, as well as to the ACP and the 
IADB. The Committee took note of the fact that the World Bank and the IMF had observer status by 
virtue of the Agreements between the se organizations and the WTO.  
1.4. The Committee's rules of procedure, which were approved by the Council for Trade in Goods, 
are contained in document G/L/146 . 
2. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT  
2.1. During the period under review, no developing country Member maintained delayed 
application of the provisions of th e Agreement in accordance with its  provisions of Article  20.1. At  the 
time of circulation of this report, no Member maintained an extension of the delay period in 
accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1, Annex III  of the Agreement .  
2.2. To date , 112 Members have notified their national legislation on cus toms valuation, including 
16 Members which have submitted communications indicating that their legislation notified under 
the Tokyo Round Customs Valuation Agreement remained valid under the WTO Customs Valuation 
Agreement (both figures count the European Union as one) . In addition, 79 Members have provided 
responses to the Checklist of Issues regarding their legislation. See document G/VAL/W/232/Rev. 18. 
 
1 To be issued.  G/VAL/W/388  
 
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  3. ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE  
3.1. The Committee carried out the following activities at its meeting s of 24 May and 5 November : 
(a) Review of i nformation on the implementation and administration of the CVA  
− took note of notification s pertaining to  customs legislation submitted by  the Plurinational 
State of Bolivia ( G/VAL/N/1/BOL/2 ); Botswana  (G/VAL/N/1/BWA/1 ), Colombia 
(G/VAL/N /1/COL/5), Norway  (G/VAL/N/1 /NOR/3 ), the Philippines ( G/VAL/N/1/PHL/2 ), 
and the United Arab Emirates ( G/VAL/N/1/ARE/1 );  
− took note of notification s of the checklist of issues  from the Philippines ( G/VAL/N/2/PHL/2 ) 
and the United Arab Emirates (G/VAL/N/2/ ARE/1);  
− in addition, continued its ongoing review of notifications pertaining to national customs 
legislations notified by the following Members  not identified above : [Afghanistan ; Belize; 
Benin; the Plurinational State of Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; Burundi; Colombia; the 
European Union;  the Gambia; Georgia; Guinea; Guatemala; Honduras; Iceland; India; 
Malawi; Mongolia; Namibia; Nepal; Nigeria; Norway; Paraguay;  the Philippines;  Russian 
Federation; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka ; Togo;  Tonga;  Ukraine; 
the United Arab Emirates;  the United Kingdom;  Vanuatu; and Viet Nam .]  
− it concluded the review of the national customs legislations notified by  [El Salvador and 
Israel ]; 
− took note of document s G/VAL/W/232/Rev. 17 and G/VAL/W/232/Rev.1 8 which were 
issued by the Secretariat during the period under review  and which summariz ed the 
latest  status of notifications .  
(b) Information on the application of Decisions of t he Committee on Customs Valuation  
− took note of the Secretariat's update s of summary information on the latest status of 
notifications relate d to the Decision on the "Treatment of Interest Charges in the Customs 
Value of Imported Goods" and the Decision on "Valuation of Carrier Media Bearing 
Software for Data Processing Equipment"  as contained in document s G/VAL/W/5/Rev. 37 
and G/VAL/W/5/Rev.3 8; 
− took note of the notification s submitted by  the Philippines and Tonga .  
 
(c) Technical Assistance  
− took note of the technical assistance carried out by the WTO  and the  information compiled 
by the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation concerning technical assistance 
activities carried out by the WCO  Secretariat , as contained in document s G/VAL/8/Add. 45 
and G/VAL/8/Add.4 6. 
 
(d) Specific Trade Concerns  
− no specific trade concerns were raised during the period under review . 
 
(e) Discussions on Improving the Functioning of the Committee  
− Held discussions on the functioning of the Committee following a request from the 
Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) ( JOB/CTG/24 ) at its formal meeting 
on 24 May 2023 ( G/VAL/M/75 ), and at informal meetin gs held on 30 January ( ICN/VAL/1 ) 
and 20 September 2023 ( ICN/VAL/2 ). 
− A Report on Improvements in the Functioning of the Committee on Customs Valuation 
(G/L/XXXX ) was [approved]  at the 15 November  2023 meeting , reflecting the 
Committee 's agreement  to implement [six] changes with a view to improving its 
functioning  regarding a ssistance to delegates, planning and organization of meetings, 
the introduction of an annotated agenda , and the use of the eAgenda platform.  
 G/VAL/W/388  
 
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  (f) Preshipment Inspection Agreement  
− took note of the information on the notifications which had been received on 
preshipment inspection , reflected in document s G/PSI/N/1/Rev.5/Add.3  and 
G/PSI/N/1/Rev.6 ; 
- took note of statements made under the agenda item of questions and responses 
regarding notifications submitted by China , Indonesia,  and Saint Lucia ; 
- took note of the latest report s by the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC)  Council 
concerning countries that use preshipment inspection services which was circulated in 
document s G/VAL/W/63/Re v.30 and G/VAL/W/63/Rev. 31; 
- [launched the  next triennial review of the PSI Agreement] . 
 
(g) Reports by The Technical Committee on Customs Valuation  
− took note of the reports by the World Customs Organization on the work of the Technical 
Committee on Customs Valuation  (TCCV) , including its 56th and 57th session s 
(3-5 May 2023 and 9-13 October 2023, respectively ). 
(h) Annual Review and Annual R eport to the Council for Trade i n Goods  
− [adopted  the Annual Review of the Implementation and Operation of the Customs 
Valuation Agreement (contained in G/VAL/ 80); 
− adopted the Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods  (contained in G/L/XXXX ).] 
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