Between 6-8 June Bishkek hosted a regional workshop for customs officers from Central Asia. Customs officers from Central Asian countries together with experts from European customs authorities discussed the current methods of customs valuing, tariff classification and origin of goods and methods applied in their countries and evaluated the international practices in this area based on the Lithuanian experience. During the workshop the main principles of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and a number of technical issues were reviewed, including the linkage between customs valuing and pricing. The workshop provided an opportunity to compare national classification systems with the standards recommended by the WCO and consider possible improvements in national methods of establishing and applying tariffs.

Based on the results of the workshop, the expert team will review the existing legal framework and the relevant arrangements applied in the Central Asian countries and elaborate steps for further advancement in this area taking into account the international experience and best practices.

In the long-term perspective, this BOMCA initiative shall facilitate the introduction of measures for improving the efficiency of controls and procedures applicable to goods and means of transport crossing the borders, thus facilitating regional and international trade.