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The nomenclature used for the classification of goods traded internationally has been amended with respect to the description and codification of goods (HS) since 1 January 2022.

HS 2022 is the 7th edition of the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System, following the entry into force of the International Convention on 1 January 1988. The new edition makes some major changes to the Harmonized System with a total of 351 sets of amendments covering a wide range of goods moving across borders. Some of the key changes concern:

• - Electrical and electronic waste, commonly referred to as e-waste;
• - Novel tobacco and nicotine products;
• - Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones;
• - Smartphones;

Elsewhere, some subheadings have undergone significant restructuring, namely:

• - Glass fibres and articles thereof in subheading 70.19;
• - Metal forming machinery in subheading 84.62;

Other new specific provisions also cover:

• - Flat panel display modules now classified as a product in their own right;

• - Health and safety equipment including kits for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases during epidemics, placebo and clinical trial kits for medical research, cell cultures and cell therapy products;
• - On a human security level, a number of new provisions specifically provide for the protection of society and the fight against terrorism (dual use goods that can be used as radioactive materials and biological safety cabinets, as well as items required for the construction of improvised explosive devices);
• - Goods specifically controlled under various Conventions have also been updated and include;
• - Specific chemicals controlled under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC);
• - Hazardous chemicals controlled under the Rotterdam Convention and certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs);
• - Gases controlled under the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol;
• - The amendments also include the clarification of texts to ensure the uniform application of the nomenclature.

The clarification and alignment in French and English of the appropriate way to measure wood in the rough for the purposes of subheadings under heading 44.03.

Given the scope of the changes made, the WCO encourages all interested parties to consult the correlation tables between the current 2017 and the new edition of the HS, and on updating the HS publications, such as the Explanatory Notes, the Classification Opinions, the Alphabetical Index and the HS online database.

Customs administrations and regional economic communities have a huge task to ensure timely implementation of the 2022 HS Edition, as required by the HS Convention. They are therefore encouraged to begin the process of preparing for the implementation of HS 2022 in their national Customs tariff or statistical nomenclatures.

Sources: WCO website