Text IX

Pre-reading

Task 1. Translate the following words.

English Russian

… товары

authorities …

… граница

differences …

nomenclature …

… единый

… сырьевые товары

statistics …

Task 2. Look up the pronunciation of the following words in the dictionary:

authorities, nomenclature, heading, produce, standardization, amendment, shortcoming, harmonized, preparatory.

Task 3. Constitute the word family including the word “produce”.

Task 4. Give synonyms to the word “goods”. Consult a dictionary.

Classification of goods

From the earliest times, there has existed an interest in classifying goods. The interest usually arose from a desire on the part of authorities to impose taxes on goods when they cross their boundaries. Later, with the development of the economy, it became important to know the level of such trade.

The first “goods classification systems” were very simple in nature, i.e. an alphabetic list of goods to which a particular tax was applied or which were exempt from such duties.

Later a new classification system was developed. Within this classification system particular products were identified for differential tax on the basis of their nature.

At the same time, as the level and importance of international trade increased, the traders became aware of the difficulties caused by differences in national customs tariffs.

Much was done to produce a common world nomenclature.

In 1831 Belgium presented its foreign trade statistics under three general headings: raw materials, produce and manufactured articles. However the first uniform statistical nomenclature was adopted at the Second International Conference on commercial statistics in 1913 (Brussels).

The idea of a common customs nomenclature was put forward at the World Economic Conference in 1927 and a draft customs nomenclature was prepared (the first version was completed in 1931). The nomenclature, known as “The Geneva nomenclature”, comprised 991 headings, arranged in 86 chapters.

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

Considerable amendments were made to the Geneva text, partly to reflect technical progress and partly because of the revealed shortcomings. The re-arranged and simplified draft was incorporated into the Brussels Convention of 15 December 1950 on “Nomenclature for the classification of Goods in Customs Tariffs”. In 1974 the “Brussels Nomenclature” was renamed the “Customs Co-operation Council nomenclature”.

In the late 1960s there was a growing awareness amongst all concerned with the international trade of the need to rationalize and harmonize trade documentation data and, in particular, to harmonize the designation and coding of countries, modes of transport and, not least, commodities. The studies and preparatory work resulted in the completion of the “Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System” and the establishment of a new international convention for its implementation (1983).

Essential words and phrases:

goods classification system – система классификации товаров

world nomenclature – международная номенклатура

draft customs nomenclature – проект таможенной номенклатуры

common framework for customs tariffs

– общая структура для таможенных тарифов

amendments – поправки

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS)

– Гармонизированная система описания и кодирования товаров (ГС)

TASKS

Task 5. Stress and translate the following words.

apply classify fabricate characterize

deny identify facilitate harmonize

reply simplify incorporate rationalize

supply verify innovate standardize

Task 6. Define from what verbs these words are derived.

classification establishment

development amendment

reconstruction designation

product completion

Task 7. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

1. levy a) the basic structure, arrangement

2. framework b) any article of commerce

3. amendment c) a correction, revision or change

4. draft d) collecting of a tax

5. commodity e) to vote to accept

6. adopt f) preliminary plan or sketch of writing

Task 8. Arrange the letters in brackets into terms wotching the given definitions.

1) to make two or more sets of rules, taxes etc. the same (i e a m h z n o r)

2) to make all the things of one particular type the same as each other

(e z t r a i a n d d s)

3) to decide what group something belongs to (a i l f s c y s)

4) to take action or make changes that you have officially decided should happen (e e m m i l t p n)

Task 9. Use a dictionary and give the definitions to the following words

1. authorities

2. tax

3. boundary

4. economy

5. trade

6. tariff

7. nomenclature

8. convention

Task 10. The prefix “mis-” is used to refer to an opposite or the lack of something. It can have the meaning bad or badly, wrong or wrongly. Use a dictionary and translate the following words with the prefix “mis-” into Russian.

classification misclassification

calculation miscalculation

deed misdeed

fortune misfortune

information misinformation

to behave to misbehave

to interpret to misinterpret

to understand to misunderstand

Task 11. Give the degrees of comparison of the adjectives.

new, important, late, simple, usual, early, common, favorable, far, great, old.

Task 12. Cross out the odd word.

1. clearly, gradually, recently, firstly, likely;

2. quicker, better, sooner, worse, rather;

3. develop, adopt, production, implement.

Task 13. Match the nouns to the verbs with which they are used in the text.

1. to impose a) conditions

2. to adopt b) taxes

3. to create c) amendments

4. to harmonize d) the nomenclature

5. to make e) the completion

6. to result f) documentation data

Task 14. Make sentences, putting the words in correct order.

1. Important, of, it, to know, trade, such, the, later, became, level.

2. tax, within, for, the, on, of, this, nature, particular, were, differential, classification, basis, system, products, identified, their.

3. nomenclature, was, a, world, done, much, to produce.

4. economic, favorable, the, customs, drive, standardization, tariffs, the, reconstruction, created, for, of, for, conditions.

5. need, there, trade, a, data, to harmonize, was, awareness, the, of, documentation, growing.

6. work, and, completion, the “HS”, studies, resulted, work, in, preparatory, the, of.

Task 15. Translate the following questions into English and answer then.

1. Почему возникла необходимость в классификации товаров?

2. Что из себя представляли первые системы классификации товаров?

3. Когда были представлены первые статистические данные по внешней торговле?

4. Что стали называть “Женевской номенклатурой”?

5. Почему в текст Женевской номенклатуры были внесены значительные поправки?

6. Чем закончились исследования и подготовительная работа?

Task 16. Translate the article from the “Customs Code of the Customs Union” into English.

Статья 52. Классификация товаров

1. Товары при их таможенном декларировании подлежат классификации по Товарной номенклатуре внешнеэкономической деятельности.

2. Проверку правильности классификации товаров осуществляют таможенные органы.

3. В случае выявления неверной классификации товаров, таможенный орган самостоятельно осуществляет классификацию товаров и принимает решение по классификации товаров по форме, определенной законодательством государств – членов таможенного союза.

Task17. Write a short essay on the question: Why has there always existed an interest in classifying goods?

Text X

Pre-reading

Task 1. Translate the following words.

English Russian

convention …

… соглашение

multipurpose …

… ценный

… внешнеторговая статистика

application …

… потери, ущерб

framework …

current …

… требования

Task 2. Look up the pronunciation of the words in the dictionary:

party, conformity, concept, origin, application, distortion, updating, obsolete, confusion.

Task 3. Read the sentences and say what part of speech the italicized words are.

a) It is designed to serve as a framework for international trade and other needs which are themselves in constant move.

b) The updating is a continuous process requiring constant effort by the WCO.