Results of the  
TRANSPOSITION   
of draft harmonized Rules of Origin  
Committee on Rules of Origin  
10 April 2014  
1 Objectives of this presentation  
1.Briefly overview of the mandate given to the 
Secretariat and explanation of the work 
conducted  
2.Summary of the results  
3.Next steps  
2 Background  
At the meeting of 27 October 2011, the CRO agreed to initiate 
the “Transposition Exercise”  
i.e. the technical  rectification of draft  harmonized non -
preferential rules of origin to adapt them to changes in the 
more recent versions of the HS nomenclature  
Basis: draft Consolidated Text (G/RO/W/111/Rev.6, 
originally negotiated in HS1996)  
Gradually Transpose draft rules to the HS 2002, 2007 and 
2012  
3 Background  
To be initiated immediately, to be completed as early as 
possible ( see G/RO/M/57 ) 
Work was to be conducted by then WTO Secretariat: 
“mechanical” transposition of the rules  
Collaboration with Members (comments and review)  
Collaboration with the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin 
(TCRO) and with the Secretariat of the World Customs 
Organization (WCO)  
 
 
 4 How was work conducted?  
Based on the correlation tables published by the WCO  
Additional WCO papers if available (e.g. HS1996 -2002: Non paper 
prepared by the WCO for the 21st Session of the TCRO, “ How to deal with the 
technical rectifications relating to changes in the HS” ) 
Members informed through: Members website, fax and 
email  
Comments from Members, the TCRO, the WCO Secretariat 
accepted at any time  
5 What JOB/RO/5 contains  
What it contains : 
 
Rules transposed to the 2002  version of the HS nomenclature: 
JOB/RO/2, JOB/RO/2/Rev.1  
Rules transposed to the 2007  version of the HS nomenclature: 
JOB/RO/3, JOB/RO/3/Rev.1  
Rules transposed to the 2012  version of the HS nomenclature: 
JOB/RO/4, JOB/RO/4/Rev.1  
6 What JOB/RO/5 contains  
What it contains : 
Comments submitted by Members (corrections only, not 
simplifications)  
Suggestions for simplification prepared by the WCO 
Secretariat and forwarded by the TCRO:  
Simplified rules for the transposition of the draft rules into 
the HS2002 and HS2007: G/RO/W/143 ; and  
Simplified rules for the transposition of the draft rules into 
the HS2012: G/RO/W/146 . 
7 What changes were made to the rules?  
Most of the time, no change was required:  
Either the HS codes did not change (marked “no change”)  
Or the changes did not require any rectification of the rule: e.g. the rule is set 
at the heading level and the changes occur at the sub -heading level (marked 
“no change required”)  
Sometimes, more complex adjustments were needed:  
 Simple changes: e.g. creation of a new split to set aside a product moved into 
a new sub-heading (marked “HS 20XX”)  
 More complex changes: e.g. the addition of exceptions to the ROO (“Except 
from”) or both new splits and new exceptions  (marked “HS 20XX”)  
 Some results would be difficult to apply in practice, so a simplification of 
the “mechanically -transposed” rule needed (marked “simplification”)  
8 Summary of rectifications (%)  
Sum of 2002, 2007, 2012  
9 Reading JOB/RO/5  
HS Code 
Number  Description of 
goods  Primary rules  Change  
(1) (2) (3) (4) 
Chapter 3 Fish and 
crustaceans, 
molluscs and other 
aquatic 
invertebrates      
03.01  Live fish.  The origin shall be the country 
where the fish of this heading 
has been captured; or if farmed, 
the country where the fish has 
been raised from egg or fry 
(including fingerling).  HS2007  
HS2012 (no 
change 
required)  
From the Consolidated 
Text (G/RO/W/111/Rev.6)  Comment for easier 
reference (Secretariat)  Rule rectified in its most 
recent version  
10 Next steps  
Receive comments from Members over the coming months: 
corrections  
Detailed examination possible (chapter by chapter or 
otherwise)  
Some rules would ideally require further simplification : e.g. 
HS28.52 has 26 split headings and several exceptions…  
Issue a Revision before the next CRO  
Review technical work to take note of the completion of the 
“transposition exercise”  
Circulate a new draft Consolidated Text with the validated, 
transposed rules (G/RO/W/111/ Rev.7 ) 
11