The General Directorate of Customs (DGA) participated in the Regional Customs Laboratories Program of the World Customs Organization (WCO), which took place for one week at the WCO headquarters (Brussels, Belgium) and for six weeks at the Korean Customs Laboratory (East Asia).
This program, funded by the Japanese Customs Administration, Korean Customs and Indian Customs, brought together twelve scholarship holders of the following administrations: Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Tanzania, Tunisia and Vanuatu.
This is an initiative of the WCO to develop the capacities of officials customs officers in order to expand and update their knowledge and skills in the chemical analysis of samples for the purposes of tariff classification by the Harmonized System (SA) at one of the WCO|Asia Pacific Regional Customs Laboratories (RCL) in Japan, the Republic of Korea or India, and acquire theoretical knowledge on SA at the WCO Headquarters.
In this regard, the Argentine Customs was represented by Valeria Naomi Gietz who works in the Technical Department of Nomenclature and Tariff Classification dependent on the Technical Directorate (SDG TLA).
Based on the above, the agent carried out the training at WCO headquarters where participants examined the role and needs of customs laboratories, studied HS and tariff classification related to customs laboratory issues, delved into the WCO Customs Laboratory Guide and other tools, and shared experiences and knowledge.
During the practical phase at the Korean Customs Laboratory, the Argentine representative significantly expanded her theoretical knowledge on the classification of goods, based on quantitative and qualitative criteria. She actively participated in various chemical analysis techniques, making use of state-of-the-art equipment. This allowed her to gather detailed information on the methodology and practical knowledge ("know-how") associated with the different techniques. This acquired knowledge will translate into substantial benefits for the administration, contributing to a deeper collective understanding of the classification of goods, chemical analysis and the use of advanced equipment.
The Argentine Customs Office stressed the importance of the initiative and stated in a statement that it is "proud to have a representative in this Program for the first time." In this regard, it will "continue to support the participation of customs officials in the various WCO capacity-building activities."
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