WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/TF/W/52 
6 July 2005 
 
 (05-2963) 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation Original:   English 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM JAPAN 
  
 The following communication, originally circulated in document JOB(05)/101, is being re-
issued in the TN/TF/W series at the re quest of the Delegation of Japan.   
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TRADE FACILITATION:  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES OF JAPAN 
 
 
1. The Doha Development Agenda reconfirms th at technical cooperation and capacity building 
are core elements of the development dimension of the multilateral trading system.
1  Furthermore, in 
paragraph 5 of the modalities for negotiations on trade facilitation, "it is recognized that the provision 
of technical assistance and support for capacity building is vital for developing and least-developed countries to enable them to fully participate in and benefit from the negotiations". 
2. In recognition of the importance of such assistance and capacity building in developing 
countries, Japan has been actively providing technical assistance programmes in the field of trade 
facilitation on the basis of the requests from developi ng countries.  For example, in the field of 
customs, Japan has been providi ng assistance on subjects such as customs clearance, customs 
valuation, Harmonized System (HS) and post-clearance audit, which are all basic elements in customs 
procedures.  For the Members' reference, the following are some aspects of Japan's technical 
assistance activities in the field of customs procedures.   
I. MODE 
3. Technical assistance is provided in the following modes
2:   
• Training :  Japan invites officials from developing countries and provides them with a 
training course in Japan.  In  the past three fiscal years (2002-2004), Japan invited a total 
of 860 customs officials from 58 countries in 111 courses.   
 
• Expert Mission :  Japan sends one or more expe rts to a national or regional 
seminar/workshop/symposium that is often he ld in a developing country.  In the past 
three fiscal years (2002-2004), Japan sent 274 customs experts to 33 countries.  There are also long-term customs experts invol ved in developing countries' customs 
administrations, assisting in their modernization (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, ASEAN Secretariat).   
 
                                                     
 
1 Paragraph 38 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
2 Assistance in the form of providing hardware is done by Japan International Cooperation Agency 
(JICA). TN/TF/W/52 
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 II. SUBJECT 
4. A wide-range of subjects are covered in technical assistance, in the field of customs, 
including the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention, cust oms administration, customs clearance, customs 
valuation, post-clearance audit, risk manageme nt, enforcement (passenger control, intelligence, 
security, etc.), HS and tariff classification, rules of origin and training management.  Examples of the 
objectives of these assistance activities are as follows (fu rther details of exampl es of training courses 
provided are annexed hereto):   
A. HS
 CLASSIFICATION  
5. The objective of a training course on HS classificati on is to give participants an opportunity to 
acquire the basic knowledge and skills of Customs tariff classification based on the WCO HS 
Convention with case studies.  After this training c ourse, participants will be able to perform proper 
classification by applying the HS Convention.  Also, long term technical assistance for ASEAN 
customs administrations by Japanese experts in this  area has contributed to the creation of ASEAN 
Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN).   
B. CUSTOMS VALUATION AND POST-CLEARANCE AUDIT  
6. The objective of this training is to deepen the knowledge regarding the WTO Customs 
Valuation Agreement and Post-Clearance Audit, wh ich is important from the viewpoint of securing 
facilitated customs procedures and tackling valuation fraud at the same time.  After this programme, 
participants are expected to effectively deal with the various valuation cases and properly conduct 
valuation management.   
C. TRAINING MANAGEMENT  
7. The objective of this "training management" course is to give participants an opportunity to 
deepen the planning knowledge and skills of trai ning management, with a view to enhancing the 
capacity of developing countries in the area of human  resource development.  After this training 
course, participants are expected to implemen t the training course more effectively in each 
administration.   
III. BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES 
- A major portion of technical assistance is pr ovided to countries in Asia and the Pacific 
including Central Asia. 
- Japan has also been providing assistance to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin 
America. 
 
IV. FUNDING 
8. Technical assistance in the field of customs is funded by the following sponsors:   
- Customs Technical Cooperation Programme (C ustoms and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of 
Finance) 
- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 
- World Customs Organization (WCO) 
- Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
  TN/TF/W/52 
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 9. Japan commits itself to being engaged in the multilateral trading system and supports the 
strengthening of the system.  It is thus willing to continue providing technical assistance and would 
like to stress the importance of agreeing to a ta ngible final outcome on trad e facilitation that would 
enable us to provide effective and operational technical assistance.   TN/TF/W/52 
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 ANNEX 
 
Outline of Training Courses Provided by Japan Customs (Examples
) 
  
 1. Training course on HS Classification 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to ac quire the basic knowledge and skills of Customs 
tariff classification based on the HS Conventio n and ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature 
(AHTN) with case studies. After this training cour se, participants will be able to perform proper 
classification by applying the HS Convention and AHTN. 
 CONTENTS:   
 
1) Overall features of Customs Administration in Japan 
2) The HS Convention  
3) AHTN 
4) Tariff Schedule of Japan  
5) Classification structure of Japan 
6) Case studies 
7) Role of chemical analysis in Customs clearance 
8) Field trip to regional Customs 
  2. Training course on Customs Valuation and Post-Clearance Audit 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To deepen the knowledge regarding the WTO Valuation Agreement and Post-Clearance 
Audit in order to enhance a smooth Customs clearan ce and combat against valuation fraud.  After 
this programme, participants are expected to eff ectively deal with the various valuation cases and 
properly conduct valuation management.   
 
CONTENTS:   
 
1) Overall features of Customs Administration in Japan 
2) The methods of valuation 
3) Value declaration system 
4) Post-clearance audit in Japan 
5) Managing valuation risk in Japan 
6) Case Studies 
7) Revised Kyoto Convention 
8) Field trip to regional Customs 
 
  TN/TF/W/52 
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 3. Training course on Customs Clearance 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills of Customs 
Clearance, to familiarize them with Cargo Processing, computerized systems used by the Japan 
Customs, and to deepen their knowledge of a medium to secure trade facilitation. 
 
CONTENTS:    
1) Overall features of Customs Administration in Japan 
2) Export and import clearance system 
3) Computerized systems used by Japan Customs 
4) Tariff Classification 
5) Customs valuation 
6) Intellectual Property Rights 
7) Cargo clearance at sea/air ports 
8) Customs counselor system for importers 
9) Chemical analysis 
10) Anti-smuggling measures 
11) Field trip to regional Customs 
 4. Training course on Enforcemen t and Intelligence Management  
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to ac quire the basic knowledge and skills of overall 
enforcement activities of Customs, including ri sk management and intelligence management, 
with lectures, discussions and case studies. 
 
CONTENTS:    
1) Overall features of the Customs Administration in Japan 
2) Enforcement at sea/air ports  
3) Passengers and cargo processing 
4) Anti-smuggling measures 
5) Seizure trend in Japan 
6) Investigations and deposition of Customs offences 
7) Intelligence management 
8) Overall enforcement activities conducted by Japan Customs 
9) Field trip to regional Customs 
 
5. Training course on Drug Detector Dog Management 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to ac quire the knowledge and skills for training drug 
detector dogs which are required for drug detector  dog administrators to aid in the effective 
control of illicit drug trafficking. 
 
CONTENTS:   
 
1) Overall features of the Customs Administration in Japan TN/TF/W/52 
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 2) Principles of drug detector dog training 
3) Canine selection criteria 
4) Canine capabilities, limitations and olfactory acuity 
5) Drug detector dog in the work place (fi eld observation and demonstration) 
6) Drug detector dog utilization 
7) Current situation of drug abuse and control a nd the related laws and regulations on narcotic 
control 
8) Intelligence management and techniques on drug control 
9) Observation and Demonstration 
 6. Training course on Training Management 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to d eepen their planning knowledge and skills in 
training management. After this training course, par ticipants are expected to implement the training 
course more effectively in each administration. 
 
CONTENTS:    
1) Organizational Administration and methods of  Human Resources Development (HRD) in 
Japan 
2) Lectures on training management 
-Training system -Training needs analysis, design, planning, ad ministration and evaluation of training courses 
3) Workshop on training management 
4) Discussion of recent problems of each administration  
5) Field trip to regional Customs 
 
7. Region-focused seminar on the Revised Kyoto Convention 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to acquire the knowledge of the Revised Kyoto 
Convention and familiarize them w ith it.  This seminar is set to support the acceptance of the 
Revised Kyoto Convention in the participants' country. 
 
CONTENTS:    
1) Overall features of the Customs Administration in Japan 
2) Seminar on: 
a. Outline of Revised Kyoto Convention 
b. General Annex of Kyoto Convention 
c. Specific Annexes 
3) Field trip to regional Customs 
 
8. Training course on Chemical Analysis 
OBJECTIVE:   
 
To give participants an opportunity to acqui re the basic knowledge and skills of mechanized 
analysis using precision instruments for accura te HS classification.  After this course, 
participants will be able to gain the highl y mechanized analysis method using a precision  TN/TF/W/52 
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 instrument.  They will also be able to eff ectively conduct the mechan ized analysis and can 
transfer their technique to their colleagues.   
 
CONTENTS:    
1) Mechanized analysis of imported goods at customhouses  
2) Essential mechanized analysis 
3) Introduction of essential and advanced a ppliances (X-ray diffractometer, infrared 
spectrophotometer, gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, etc.) 
4) Advanced mechanized analysis 
5) Analytical method 
- for food stuff - for inorganic materials - for petrochemicals and organic compounds 
- for highly polymerized compounds, paper, textiles, etc. 
6) Field trip to regional Customs 
 
 
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