rules of origin

Informal session on the 25th anniversary of the WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin

 

This session was an opportunity to review the objectives of the WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin and the work of the Committee these past years. It was also an opportunity to identify other international and multilateral instruments that deal with rules of origin and discuss the effectiveness and gaps of these instruments. Finally, it was an opportunity to hear more about the costs for businesses of complying with diverse and multiple origin requirements. This could, hopefully, help us identify priorities that could inform the work of the WTO in the years ahead.

The Agreement recognizes “that clear and predictable rules of origin and their application facilitate the flow of international trade”. This certainly is an objective that remains very pressing 25 years after the adoption of the Agreement at the WTO Uruguay Round.

The event was streamed online and all presentations are available through this page.

A summary of the event was issued as a WTO document and can be found here.

10:00 OPENING

  • Ms. Uma Shankari MUNIANDY (Singapore), Chair of the Committee on Rules of Origin (2019-2020)

PANEL 1 10:15–11:30

The 25th anniversary of the agreement on rules of origin

Moderator:

  • Ms. Uma Shankari MUNIANDY (Singapore), Chair of the Committee on Rules of Origin (2019-2020)

Overview of the objectives of the Agreement on Rules of Origin and 25 years of work in the WTO Committee on Rules of Origin

  • Darlan F. MARTÍ, Secretary of the Committee on Rules of Origin, WTO Secretariat
    Presentation

The Work Programme for the Harmonization of Non-Preferential Rules of Origin: overview of the negotiations, main stumbling blocks

  • Stefan MOSER (Switzerland), former Chair of the Committee on Rules of Origin

PANEL 2 11:30-13:00

Overview of other multilateral instruments on rules of origin

Moderator:

  • Mr. Assan TOURAY, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of The Gambia to the United Nations Office, and other International Organizations in Geneva

Annex K of the Revised Kyoto Convention and the work of the World Customs Organization and the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin

  • Mette AZZAM, Senior Technical Officer, Origin Sub-Directorate, Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate, WCO Secretariat
    Presentation

Pushing the boundaries of work on rules of origin at the WTO: The 2013 and 2015 Ministerial Decisions on preferential rules of origin for LDCs

  • Darlan F. MARTÍ, Secretary of the Committee on Rules of Origin, WTO Secretariat
    Presentation

Origin-related provisions in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: what the agreement contains and what was left out

  • Helen CHANG, Project Officer, Trade Facilitation team at the Market Access Division, WTO Secretariat
    Presentation

Harmonization of origin procedures: ICC’s initiatives to reinforce credibility of origin statements

  • Martin VAN DER WEIDE, International Chamber of Commerce
    Presentation

Webcast

PANEL 3 15:00-16:30

How businesses and trade operators adapt to diversity in origin requirements

Moderator:

  • Mr. Laurence SANDRAL, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Australia to the WTO

WTO-ITC-WCO Origin Facilitator: what do we know about existing rules of origin? Stylised facts and trends

  • Dzmitry KNIAHIN, Market Analyst, Trade and Market Intelligence at the Division of Market Development, International Trade Centre (ITC)
    Presentation

What we know and what we do not know about the costs of complying with rules of origin

  • Simon NEUMUELLER, Economic Affairs Officer, Market Access Division, WTO Secretariat
    Presentation

Planning and managing supply chains in a world of multiple origin requirements: how businesses manage supply chains and keep compliance costs at bay

  • Lawrence M. FRIEDMAN, Partner, Barnes, Richardson & Colburn
    Presentation
  • Anna MARCINOWSKI, Senior Manager, Daimler AG
    Presentation
  • Denise VALIN ALVAREZ, Director, Global Trade Compliance, Burberry

Webcast

PANEL 4 16:30-18:00

Future international collaboration on rules of origin

Moderator:

  • Ms. Carol TSANG, Assistant Representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China to the WTO

The review of Annex K ("Origin") of the Revised Kyoto Convention: overview of proposals and state of play

  • Mette AZZAM, Senior Technical Officer, Origin Sub-Directorate, Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate WCO
    Presentation

Is there scope for plurilateral or sectoral harmonization of rules of origin?

  • Stefano INAMA, Chief, Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
    Presentation

Increasing demands on product certification and origin traceability

  • Lisa McAULEY, CEO, Global Trade Professionals Alliance, University of New South Wales

Digitalization of trade documents and the use of blockchain technology in origin-requirements and trade documentation

  • Emmanuelle GANNE, Senior Analyst, Economic Research and Statistics Division, WTO Secretariat
    Presentation

Webcast

18:00 END OF THE INFORMAL SESSION

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