English for customs officers

VI. Read the following text. The first sentence in the text is missing. Choose the appropriate sentence among the options (1-4) given after the text.

A very large element of this problem is the difficulty in identifying the consignments for what they are, as it is possible to describe them in numerous ways. Having identified one chemical the examining officer is faced with the use of numerous synonyms for the same product. For example, ether which is used in the production of both heroin and cocaine, has 21 other names across Europe alone.

1.It is generally agreed that modern Customs administrations have two main tasks.

2.Access to knowledge and importation is not only a right, it is a necessity in all fields of activity.

3.The World Customs Organization in Brussels recognizes that Customs Services worldwide have a very important role in the efforts to combat diversion of drug-associated chemicals.

4.Customs administrations need to maintain the appropriate balance between facilitating legitimate trade and travel while ensuring compliance with the laws and regulations they enforce.

VII. Translate into Russian in written form.

1.The focus of Customs administrations worldwide is one of greater facilitation for the legitimate movement of trade and people. On the other hand, there are increasing demands for greater community protection from ordinary citizens and we have an important and continuing role to play in this regard.

2.We live in a world of continuous change – dynamic, inevitable and unpredictable. In this ever-changing environment, all players in the Customs and trade community need to be outwardly focused and prepared to continually reform and modernize the way they do business.

VIII. Insert the right words. Choose from the list below.

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1.There is a 15 % discount on all electrical … until the end of the month.

2.The country's most valuable … include oil and diamonds.

3.Shoppers complained about poor quality … and high prices.

4.There are several … on the table which belong to me.

5.A… of urgent medical supply is expected to arrive very soon.

6.This aircraft is for passengers only, it doesn't take any…

7.It says on the form that insurance covers all personal …

8.She put a few personal … in a bag and left the house.

9.The company must do more to promote their … overseas.

10.This railway line is used mainly by … trains.

IX. Speculate about the following.

1.Will the level of checking goods at the time of entry and exit be reduced under the post clearance system?

2.How will controls carried out on the basis of risk assessment help to facilitate trade?

3.Is Belarus an «importing country» or an «export-oriented country»?

4.Is Customs duty the main source of revenue for the Belarusian Government?

5.Are all Customs well equipped to reach the dual objectives of exercising efficient control and keeping trade moving as fast and smoothly as possible?

6.Are most of international transit operations still monitored by Customs officials using only paper documents?

7.Has the Belarusian Customs Service developed a comprehensive automated system of pricing information as part of its risk assessment strategy to target declarations for verification?

X. Study the following information. Then fill in the table below with the correct items under the different headings.

Visible export is the export of physically tangible goods from one country to other countries, and re-export of goods at various stages of production. Invisible export involves the export of physically intangible items, such as services, from one country to other countries.

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A standard import involves the physical transfer of goods from one country to another. In contrast, invisible imports are intangible goods brought into a country. An invisible import is generally a service – if a country receives investment banking consulting from another country for instance, it still qualifies as an inflow like a normal import despite nothing tangible being brought into the country.

tangible goods – материальные товары/средства intangible goods – нематериальные товары/средства

Exports

Imports

1.Canadian vacuum cleaner bought by a housewife in Belarus.

2.Russian car sold in Finland.

3.Russian tourist in France.

4.Dutch tulips sold in Russian shops.

5.Russian coal sold in China.

6.Russian computer used in America.

7.Russian piano bought by a housewife in Estonia.

8.Spanish tourist in Belarus.

9.Greek ships carriers of Russian goods.

10.French perfume sold in Russia.

11.Russian insurance company insures an Italian ship.

12.Belgian beer sold in Russia.

XI. Insert the right words. Choose from the list below.

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Text 1

Although (a) has many advantages, it has some disadvantages too. And that is why many ports are still not specially adapted to (b) traffic.

Now, you need a lot of special equipment for handling (c) and this is very expensive. Some countries haven't got enough money to buy the equipment to (d) their ports. Also, (e) means that there is more unemployment, because the equipment does the work that people do in conventional ports. And most countries don't want a lot of people out of work, so they don't want their ports to be (f).

Text 2

The difference between the amount a country spends on visible imports and the amount it receives for visible exports is its Balance of

(a). The difference between the total amount a country spends on imports (both visible and invisible) and other payments abroad, and the total amount it receives, from exports (both visible and invisible) and other receipts, is its Balance of (b).

DO IT FOR FUN

I. Solve the chain puzzle.

1.An amount granted, usually related to exemptions.

2.Any matter or fact from which an inference may be drawn to another matter or fact.

3.To send goods to a foreign country.

4.A list or system of duties imposed by a government on imported or exported goods.

5.Deliberate deception.

6.A refund of Customs duty.

7.2.2046 pounds.

8.A written instrument containing a true account of imported cargo.

9.Movement of merchandise through another country.

10.A name, a symbol or other device identifying a product.

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IV. Solve the crossword puzzle.

Across:

1. There are 2 types of goods: goods of Customs Union and … goods.

6.It is a facility granted to those involved in external trade to place their goods temporarily in Customs storage, without the payment of duties and taxes, without the application of economic restrictions and prohibitions.

9.Delivery, shipment, cargo, batch, goods – are the synonymous of this word.

10.Responsible for to customs or other duties.

11.It is a customs procedure under which foreign goods can be used for operations of … processing on the territory of Customs Union during certain period of time and free of payment import and export duties and taxes.

17.It is a customs procedure under which goods of Customs Union can be brought out of the territory of Customs Union and are intended to permanent location out of Customs Union.

19.It is a treatment applied by the Customs to goods, which are subject to customs control.

Down:

2.Means, potential, equipment, resource are the synonymous of this

word.

3.The quality of being legal.

4.The action or fact of abandoning or being abandoned.

5.A collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age.

7.Overload, congestion, surcharge, overburden are the synonymous of this word.

8.Classification of goods depending on the material, application, country of origin, etc.

12.A permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic beverages).

13.An undertaking in due legal form, by which a person binds himself to Customs to do or not to do some special act.

14.The process of freeing or state of being free from an obligation or liability imposed on others.

15.To allow or enable to escape from confinement; set free.

16.Forbidden, banned.

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18. An act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.

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UNIT 5. HARMONIZED SYSTEM

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

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TEXT 5.1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HARMONIZED SYSTEM

Commodities and services are key elements which international trade can't easily dispense with. There has always been a need to classify goods. The right classification of goods plays an essential role for trade statistics to develop a Customs policy of any country.

The first «goods classification systems» were very simple in nature, introducing an alphabetical list of goods on which a particular tax or toll (rate of duty) was imposed or which were exempt from such levies. Later, it was realized that a goods classification system based on criteria other than the same tax treatment would be advantageous, and Customs tariffs based on the nature of the goods were developed. Within this classification system particular products were identified for differential tax or other treatment.

The level and importance of international trade increased and everyone concerned with international trade became aware of the difficulties caused by differences in national Customs tariffs.

The efforts to produce a common world nomenclature designed to facilitate international trade spanned more than a century. They had led to the introduction of nomenclatures that at times had been used for both tariff and statistical purposes.

In 1831 Belgium presented its foreign trade statistics under three general headings: raw materials, produced and manufactured articles. In 1885 the International Institute of Statistics was founded to carry on the work of the International Statistical Congresses held at the Hague (1869), St. Petersburg (1872) and Budapest (1876). However, the first uniform statistical nomenclature to have been approved by international Convention was adopted at the Second International Conference on Commercial Statistics, held in Brussels (1913).

The idea of a common framework for Customs tariffs was put forward at the World Economic Conference (1927) and a draft Customs Nomenclature (the first version of which was completed in 1931 and revised in 1937) was prepared. This Nomenclature, which came to be known as «The Geneva Nomenclature», comprised 991 headings, arranged in 86 chapters which were themselves grouped into 21 sections.

The drive for economic reconstruction and the desire for greater freedom of trade which characterized the post-war period created favourable conditions for the standardization of Customs tariffs. The

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work done by the European Customs Union (from 1948 onwards) was based on the Geneva Nomenclature, which was the only standard framework of its kind available at that time. Nevertheless, considerable amendments were made to the Geneva text, partly to reflect technical progress and partly because of shortcomings revealed by the experience of countries which had already adopted Geneva-type tariffs. It was decided that the headings of the Nomenclature should be established by a Convention. It was thus this 1949 draft which, re-arranged, abridged and simplified, was incorporated into the Brussels Convention of 15 December 1950 on «Nomenclature for the Classification of Goods in Customs Tariffs», initially known as the «Brussels (Tariff) Nomenclature» (BTN); but in 1974 it was renamed the «Customs Cooperation Council Nomenclature» (CCCN).

In the late 1960s there was a growing awareness amongst all concerned with international trade of the need to rationalize and harmonize trade documentation data and, in particular, to harmonize the designation and coding of countries, units of quality, modes of transport, transport hauling requirements and, not least, commodities. It had been found that a commodity could be designated up to 17 times in the course of a single international transaction. The exploratory studies and preparatory work carried out under the auspices of the CCC resulted in the completion of the «Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System» and the establishment of a new international Convention for its implementation (1983).

EXERCISES

I. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

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