As part of an ongoing technical assistance program, CLDP conducted the second of a series of workshops on Customs Valuation and Classification in collaboration with the State Revenue Committee of Armenia (SRC), in Yerevan, Armenia. The first workshop, held in December 2013, was led by two advisors from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and an advisor from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). It featured comprehensive trainings on general and specific topics of valuation and classification, origin determination, CBP resources on classification and valuation, advance rulings, and CBP’s structure of regulation and rulings.

The second workshop built on the issues raised and questions asked in the first workshop and addressed specific topics requested by SRC. The program featured short exercises and complex case studies that require participants to break out into smaller groups and engage in active discussion. Participants included 27 Armenian central and regional customs officials.

The aim of the series of programs is a) to ensure that the State Revenue Committee of Armenia’s customs valuation and classification process is fair, harmonized, and transparent and meets the requirements of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement and b) to thoroughly train a cadre of officials from the State Revenue Committee of Armenia on all aspects of customs valuation and classification, who will, in turn, conduct trainings in their respective offices. Ensuring a fair, transparent, and harmonized customs valuation and classification process in Armenia will contribute to creating a business environment conducive to increased foreign direct investment.