At a formal meeting on November 10, the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Committee on Customs Valuation reviewed 63 notifications regarding customs valuation legislation from 37 member countries. Guyana and Indonesia submitted their first notifications at this session. The committee also concluded reviews for Cabo Verde, Mauritania, the Philippines, and Senegal.
Ms Judith Yu-Ying Kuo of Chinese Taipei, who chairs the committee, stated that "121 members had now notified their national legislation on customs valuation, and 94 Members had provided responses to the checklist of issues regarding implementation of the WTO's Customs Valuation Agreement."
During the meeting, a draft report was adopted for submission to the WTO's Council on Trade in Goods. This report details the current status of customs valuation notifications. It was requested by the Chair of the Goods Council to improve both how quickly and how well members submit these notifications. The report highlights that sharing experiences through workshops and outreach can help members understand and address challenges related to notification obligations.
An official from the World Customs Organization (WCO) Technical Committee on Customs Valuation presented an update about a new explanatory note concerning "price actually paid or payable," which is central to WTO valuation methods. The official also discussed draft guidelines developed by the WCO Permanent Technical Committee addressing e-commerce fulfillment and its impact on customs procedures. These guidelines are intended to assist stakeholders in managing increasing numbers of small online purchases shipped directly to consumers.
The committee agreed to organize information sessions focused on preshipment inspection (PSI) activities and discuss further the PSI Independent Entity—a dispute resolution mechanism under the WTO’s Agreement on Preshipment Inspection. Preshipment inspection involves private companies verifying details such as price, quantity, and quality of goods before they are shipped internationally.
The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for May 8, 2026.
Learn more about customs valuation here.