As part a new area of programming, CLDP conducted the first of a series of workshops on Customs Valuation and Classification in collaboration with the State Revenue Committee of Armenia (SRC), in Yerevan, Armenia, on December 17-20, 2013.
 

This initial workshop, 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), 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 program also featured several sessions of short exercises and complex case studies that require participants to break out into smaller groups and engaged in active discussion. Participants included 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.