FOREWORD

This book on customs valuation is a welcome addition to the WTO Secretariat/Cambridge University Press’s Handbook series. The Customs Valuation Agreement is the common system for determining the value of imports for duty assessment purposes and is therefore important to the everyday work of importers, customs officials, and others involved in international trade. However, because the Agreement is technical in nature and trade transactions can be complex, guidance and explanation of the terms of the Agreement will be useful to support its proper implementation.

Customs valuation has long been subject to GATT disciplines. As the authors note, governments recognized early on that negotiated tariff reductions could be subverted if the amount of duty collected can be manipulated through the way goods are valued. In addition, it was understood that positive trade facilitative advantages can result through adoption of a common valuation system setting out fair and transparent rules.