The reporter learned from the General Administration of Customs on the 27th that during the World Customs Organization’s Fifth Global AEO Conference, China Customs signed the "Agreement on Mutual Recognition of "Authorized Operators" (AEO) between China and Uganda Customs. The first AEO mutual recognition arrangement signed by China Customs in Africa.
"Authorized Operator" is Authorized Economic Operator, abbreviated as AEO. The AEO system is initiated by the World Customs Organization and aims to pass the customs certification to enterprises with a high level of law-abiding, credit status and safety, and to facilitate customs clearance. Customs of different countries can pass AEO mutual recognition to provide relevant convenience to qualified enterprises of each other.
After China and Uzbekistan signed the mutual recognition of customs AEO, the convenient measures provided by the two countries to each other’s AEO companies include: applying a lower inspection rate, giving priority to the inspection of goods that require physical inspection, and designating customs liaison officers to communicate and resolve customs clearance issues. Priority for customs clearance etc. after trade is interrupted and resumed. The above benefits will help AEO companies in the two countries to greatly reduce the time for customs clearance of goods, minimize trade costs such as corporate ports, insurance, and logistics, and effectively enhance international competitiveness.
According to the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization, Micheal Kunio, 97 countries (regions) around the world have implemented the AEO system, and 91 mutual recognition agreements have been signed.
It is understood that China Customs is actively advancing AEO mutual recognition consultations with Russia and other important nodes of the “Belt and Road” and important trading countries, continuously expanding the scope of AEO mutual recognition countries, and helping AEO enterprises to enjoy customs clearance convenience in more countries and regions.
Customs statistics show that China Customs has achieved AEO mutual recognition with 46 countries (regions) in 20 economies, and the number of mutually recognized countries (regions) ranks first in the world.
(Source: Xinhuanet. Original title: China and Africa signed the first customs AEO mutual recognition arrangement)
