Imagine imported goods being deliberately undervalued during customs declaration, resulting in lost tax revenue and unfair competition for domestic industries. This practice of "price underreporting" represents the core challenge that customs valuation controls aim to address. To combat this issue and enhance regional cooperation, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a specialized training workshop for Haitian and Dominican customs officials in Port-au-Prince during September 2016.
Workshop Background and Objectives
Funded by the European Union through the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the workshop formed part of a bilateral cooperation program between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The initiative sought to enhance professional capabilities while fostering collaboration between both nations' customs administrations. Mr. Francel Saint-Hillien, representing Haiti's Director General of Customs, emphasized the training's significance for strengthening institutional capacity and cross-border cooperation during the opening ceremony.
Participants and Structure
The five-day workshop brought together approximately 40 Haitian customs officials alongside five Dominican counterparts, representing various operational levels including valuation, inspection, and risk management specialists.
The comprehensive curriculum covered:
- In-depth analysis of Incoterms 2010: Clarifying how international trade terms affect commodity pricing
- WTO Valuation Agreement principles: Including transaction value methodology and secondary valuation methods
- Customs valuation regulations: Detailed guidance on determining dutiable value, calculating ancillary costs, and processing commercial adjustments
- WCO Valuation Control Guidelines: Best practices for risk assessment, intelligence gathering, and audit techniques
- Anti-undervaluation strategies: Identification methods and countermeasures against price manipulation schemes
The pedagogical approach combined theoretical instruction from WCO experts with practical case studies, hands-on valuation exercises, and collaborative group discussions.
Outcomes and Regional Impact
The workshop achieved measurable success in several key areas:
- Enhanced technical understanding of international valuation standards
- Improved detection capabilities for fraudulent declaration patterns
- Cross-border knowledge sharing between Haitian and Dominican officials
- Strengthened institutional frameworks for bilateral customs cooperation
During the closing ceremony, Haitian Customs Director General Victor H. Saint Louis presented WCO certification to participants, emphasizing valuation's critical role in national revenue protection and economic development.
The Critical Role of Accurate Customs Valuation
Customs valuation serves as the foundation for calculating import duties, trade statistics, and market protection mechanisms. Inaccurate assessments can trigger:
- Substantial fiscal revenue losses
- Market distortions through unfair pricing advantages
- Compromised trade data reliability for policy formulation
The WCO initiative directly addresses these vulnerabilities by professionalizing valuation practices in the Caribbean region.
Future Directions
As global trade complexity increases, both nations committed to ongoing professional development and expanded cooperation. The workshop established a framework for sustained collaboration in combating customs fraud while facilitating legitimate cross-border commerce.