The transition from a linear towards a circular economy implies a fundamental rethink of economic activities, transactions, and also – trade policies. The many issues to be addressed cover economic, social, and environmental dimensions. One of the areas to consider is defining and classifying measures, such as in Harmonized System (HS) codes. While there is limited research available on this area, the international trade community, including within the WTO Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussion (TESSD), increasingly recognises the need to discuss how HS code classification can support the circular economy transition.
 
To discuss and identify concrete recommendations on how HS code classification can support the Circular Economy transition, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva office organised a workshop titled "Deep Dive into Circular Economy: HS Code System at Heart". 

Workshop outline 

The workshop “Deep Dive into Circular Economy: HS Code System at Heart” brought together relevant international experts, Geneva-based delegates, international organizations, think-tanks, and other knowledge institutions. The workshop consisted of three parts: 

• 19 October 2022 (17:00-19:30 CET) – high-level opening event (public event).
• 20 October 2022 (9:00-17:00 CET) – targeted group discussion among key experts (by invitation only).
• 21 October 2022 (9:00-13:00 CET) – presentation of the expert group discussion results, informal exchange and framing the way forward (by invitation only).