Abu Dhabi Customs (ADC), in line with its vision to drive security, trade facilitation, and service excellence, launches new Smart Classification and Tariff Management System, positioning ADC at the forefront of the latest technological developments in the industry.
The Smart Classification and Tariff Management System is developed in corporation with Webb Fontaine and makes use of an advanced search engine built on Artificial Intelligence, and next-generation IT systems to provide appropriate HS codes for Customs transactions. The new system will digitize HS Code Classification for the products being imported to and exported from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
His Excellency Rashid Lahej Al Mansouri, Director-General of the General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi commented: “ This is the first system at a regional level that supports the search according to the commercial description of the goods and through the global trade item code GTIN and the chemical compound registration CAS Number. This enhances customs processes by directing users to select the appropriate and correct classification code and associated prohibitions, restrictions, or explanatory notes. This helps reduce classification errors, contributes to effective revenue collection, improves the quality of foreign trade statistics, encourages voluntary compliance with dealers, and builds trust between the trading community and Abu Dhabi Customs.
Customers can benefit from the Smart Classification Tool by accessing the UGC TAMM or Abu Dhabi Advanced Trading and Logistics Platform “ATLP.” Customers can easily and accurately search coordinated codes for their products. The search results include (harmonized code, tariff ratio, selective tax, restriction or prohibition of prohibited and restricted codes, and coordinated code measurement units).”
Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine, said: “Webb Fontaine believes in making trade faster, simpler and more secure through the use of AI powered technology. Through our expertise of trade and Customs, we assist governments, businesses, and economic communities around the globe in rethinking and transforming their trading practises. I am confident that this new relationship with Abu Dhabi Customs will greatly improve the quality of customs services for the business community as a whole.”
Traditional classification techniques present the Customs and trade community with a number of obstacles, such as vague descriptions of goods, unknown products, incorrectly classified items, similarity within HS codes, and a disparity between the commercial description of a product in any language and the official description of the HS code.
Webb Fontaine has incorporated Machine Learning algorithms and Natural Language Processing (NLP) in order to recognise HS codes from commercial product descriptions. The search engine driven by artificial intelligence aims to automate the process of locating the relevant HS code based on the commercial description of goods. It also includes GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) codes, chemical substance names, chemical name synonyms, CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) and Customs Union and Statistics (CUS) codes, product component numbers, and brand names as search options.
In addition, the multilingual platform includes a user-friendly web interface with a search function for Harmonized Classification based on AI to recognise commercial commodities based on their international description, taking into account country-specific needs. The application adheres to international standards like GTIN, CAS, and CUS codes.
