On June 9-10, 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 100 government officials and private sector representatives. The third and final workshop “Part III – Customs Communication & Coordination” focused on effectively communicating and coordinating modifications or new rulings across ports of entry and to private sector representatives.

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. 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 sharing experiences and lessons learned in implementing their respective advanced ruling processes.

The program began with opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu, Economy Vice Minister Melvin Redondo, and the National Director of Strategy and Financial Administration Damaris Zelaya, from the Honduran Customs Authority. To set the stage, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reviewed customs valuation best practices, how to effectively move through the hierarchy of customs valuation methods, and facilitated interactive case studies for the participants to hone their skills on effectively working through the hierarchy of customs valuation methods. CBP subsequently presented on best practices in modifying, revoking, and appealing advance rulings followed by interactive case studies. Interactive sessions showcased the importance of fostering interagency coordination at the national and regional level as the Northern Central American governments work to harmonize their processes through the regional Customs Union. The Secretariat for Economic Integration in Central America (SIECA) provided updates on the Regional Border Management Academy, including the TFA video series CLDP is developing for the Academy curriculum. The Honduran Ministry of Economic Development provided updates on Honduras’ increased TFA compliance, upcoming transparency notifications Honduras is submitting to the WTO, and announced that the Honduran government will collaborate across the interagency to develop an experience-sharing paper for the WTO on CONFACO’s experience working together to meet TFA Article 1 commitments. Colleagues from the United Nations presented an introduction to the "Transports Internationaux Routiers" or "International Road Transports" (TIR) Program, an international customs transit system to greatly enhance trade facilitation over roads. The workshop concluded with an interactive panel discussion with regional representatives reflecting on their experience the last four years of the CLDP Program highlighting lessons learned, successes, and areas for continued improvement. 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.