Yesterday, Qatar Chamber hosted a workshop on integrated Gulf customs tariffs, in which Mr. Hussein Al Marri, Head of the Tariff and Origin Department in the Customs Policies and Procedures Department at the General Authority of Customs, spoke. This was in the presence of a number of department directors at Qatar Chamber.
The workshop focused on introducing the Harmonized Customs Code, which is an international designation for classifying products and goods traded on a common basis for customs purposes at the international level. It is also a global language of understanding based on giving a specific code for each commodity called the Harmonized System Code, to which customs duty categories were added, known as the tariff. Customs duties.
Al Marri said that the State of Qatar began implementing the harmonized customs code in 1995 and joined the Harmonized System Agreement on September 9, 2004 and officially became a member, pointing out that the customs tariff will be changed so that the harmonized code becomes composed of 12 digits instead of 8 digits, as of 1 January 2025, pointing out that this change includes all Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Al Marri stressed the importance of the customs harmonized code in enhancing and organizing the customs clearance process and the circulation of goods internationally, as it facilitates the customs clearance process through registration authorities, compatibility with the Harmonized System of the World Customs Organization, and helps statistical agencies issue their annual reports on exports and imports of goods and items accurately. Helping research offices analyze the volume of demand and market situation annually, facilitating sorting and understanding sub-products and classifying them, in addition to enabling customs agencies to determine the product and category. Customs duty.
Al-Marri pointed out the role of the customs harmonized code in facilitating trade negotiations between countries, as the harmonized system, as a global language of understanding, guarantees the identification of the type of goods required to be negotiated between countries for the purpose of concluding any bilateral, regional or international agreement and prevents the transgression that may usually occur in the type of goods agreed upon. He also pointed out that the Harmonized System is distinguished from any other classification by fulfilling customs purposes due to its accuracy and clarity with regard to analyzing goods and ensuring their compliance with standard specifications and other non-standard restrictions. Customs duties to clear goods or what is related to applying the exemption or collecting customs duties.
Al Marri pointed out that the Harmonized System is managed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and is updated every 5 years, and it serves as the basis for the goods classification systems used in most countries of the world.
