On May 24-25, CLDP, in collaboration with the Honduran Ministries of Customs and Economy, conducted the second workshop of a three-part hybrid workshop series on TFA Article 3, Advance Ruling Best Practices for more than 130 government officials and private sector representatives.

Inefficient agency coordination and disjointed publication of information collectively reduce the efficacy and transparency of the regulatory process in Honduras, further engendering distrust between the private and public sectors. In particular, the advance ruling process is not often utilized for classification decisions due to the time it takes to receive a binding ruling (between 1-12 months) and inconsistent valuation practices at different ports of entry. Moreover, the advance ruling decisions that are issued by the Honduran Customs Authority are not published in a widely accessible manner, hindering traders from referencing past decisions. To address these areas of need, CLDP is conducting a series of technical workshops to encourage broad publication of advance ruling decisions, ensure consistent valuation practices, and facilitate uniform implementation of final decisions across Honduran points of entry.

Honduran government participants included representatives from the Ministries of Customs, Economic Development, Finances, Infrastructure, National Agri-Food Health and Safety Service, and the Health Regulation Agency. They were joined by their counterparts from the Costa Rican, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran Ministries of Economy and Customs. Private sector participants included representatives from the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise, the American Chamber of Commerce in Honduras, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Tegucigalpa. To continue CLDP’s efforts of encouraging regional integration and coordination across Central American governments, representatives from El Salvador and Guatemala also participated in the series sharing experiences and lessons learned in implementing their respective advanced ruling processes.

The second workshop “Part II – Customs Valuation” focused on the intricacies of appraising goods and best practices implemented across the region. The program began with opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu, Economy Minister Pedro Barquero, and Customs Director Fausto Calix. TO set the stage, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided a brief introduction to the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement, as well as valuation best practices and how to effectively implement the hierarchy of customs valuation methods.

The Honduran Ministry of Economic Development shared updates on recent and ongoing trade facilitation efforts through CONFACO, the Honduran Trade Facilitation Committee, before the Honduran Customs Authority presented the Honduran experience encouraging traders to request advance rulings related to valuation. Subsequent presentations and interactive discussions from regional colleagues showcased respective experiences valuing goods and encouraging traders to request advance rulings. U.S. experts from DOC, FAS and CBP showcased best practices to consider as the Honduran government strengthens its capacity to consistently appraise goods in a uniform manner across all ports of entry and reduce the use of valuation databases. Participants also heard from the private sector on suggested improvements to the Honduran advance ruling process. The workshop concluded with the Secretariat for Economic Integration in Central America (SIECA) showcasing tools and platforms available to Central American governments to encourage greater regional coordination in the transparent publication of advance ruling decisions. This workshop is part of a multiphase effort to promote transparency, cooperation, and coordination in the Honduran government, and to improve interregional trade across Central America.