WCO Extends Review Cycle for HS; New Version Will Be Implemented Jan. 1, 2028

The World Customs Organization's Harmonized System Committee will extend its customary five-year review cycle by an additional year, the WCO said in a press release on Oct. 12. This means that the next version of the Harmonized System will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2028.

This decision was made because of "the exceptional circumstances" of the pandemic and "its effects on the negotiation cycle," WCO said. The extension will not affect the following cycle, which will "remain a five-year cycle," the WCO said. This means that a 2033 edition of the HS would be the next version released following the 2028 version, the WCO said. The chairperson of the HS Committee said that this extension would ensure "that there would be sufficient time for drafting work and decisions on the currently tabled proposals for the next edition."

The HS Committee also finalized and approved nine amendments to the "HS2028 Nomenclature or the Explanatory Notes, 3 amendments to the HS2022 Explanatory Notes, 20 new Classification Opinions and 36 new classification decisions," the WCO said.

The most recent HS update took effect in 2022, and resulted in extensive updates to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (see 2201200078).