On 21 January 2026, the World Customs Organization WCO announced a major update to the Harmonised System HS the international classification of goods that assigns every traded product a standardised code. Managed by the WCO, the HS is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. The changes, which will come into effect on 01 January 2028, to allow time for national adaptation, mark the conclusion of six years of technical work carried out by the WCOs 187 members. These additions to the HS will provide visibility into products critical to health programmes and emergency response, enabling faster Customs clearance and easier identification.
This media release concerns the update to the global customs codes to facilitate vaccination programmes and enhance preparedness for health emergencies. The eighth edition of the universal language of trade , used to identify and code merchandise traded internationally, has been released. Two major changes stem from lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: the expanded identification of key vaccines and health emergency supplies. Increased accuracy of trade data for purposes such as modelling and forecasting, supply chain management, price indices, and market identification is a key benefit for governments.
The HS facilitates visibility of trade in vaccines
