Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau Customs continue to deepen mutual recognition and cooperation of "Authorized Economic Operator" (AEO) through zero distance between customs and enterprises

The Joint Explanation Meeting on AEO Policies between Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau Customs was held on December 16th in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. More than 400 enterprises and nearly 500 representatives from the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and across the country attended the meeting in person, with a total of 52000 online attendees.

AEO stands for Authorized Economic Operator, which is translated as "Certified Operator" in Chinese. The AEO system is an institutional arrangement led by the World Customs Organization. Customs in various countries (regions) classify their operating entities based on their compliance with the law and provide priority clearance convenience to AEO enterprises.

At the meeting, Qi Ming, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Management and Inspection Department of the General Administration of Customs, Wu Zhenhua, Assistant Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs, and Ye Huazhao, Assistant Commissioner of Macau Customs, respectively introduced the implementation of the AEO system by mainland customs, Hong Kong customs, and Macau customs; Three party customs AEO experts provided detailed explanations on AEO mutual recognition and cooperation, enterprise certification standards, and compliance system construction. They also provided policy explanations on the revision of the "Measures for the Administration of Enterprise Credit Registration and Filing of the People's Republic of China Customs", the "Customs Advanced Certification Enterprise Standards", and the Hong Kong and Macao AEO system. They also interacted with enterprise representatives on site to exchange ideas and answer questions.

Guo Lingxia, the customs officer in charge of Skyworth LCD Devices (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., said: "Today's AEO Policy Joint Explanation Meeting is of high specification and level, providing us with an official platform for direct and efficient communication with mainland customs, Hong Kong and Macao customs, and peer enterprises. The content is very solid and we have gained a lot. Especially with a deeper understanding of the convenient measures that AEO enterprises, as Hong Kong funded groups, can enjoy when clearing customs in mainland China, I feel that this sign is full of value. ”

The benefits of AEO certification are tangible. ”Li Yupei, General Manager of Hengqin Dachangxing Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., said, "The most direct feeling is the significant improvement in customs clearance efficiency, the decrease in inspection rate, and the significant reduction in logistics costs, which gives us more confidence in expanding into the international market. We would like to express our special thanks to the customs for organizing this policy briefing today. We will bring back the knowledge learned at the meeting, continuously optimize internal management, make full use of the AEO policy dividends, and contribute our corporate strength to the integrated development of Qinhuangdao and Macao and the construction of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. ”

At present, China Customs has achieved AEO mutual recognition with 31 economies including Singapore, South Korea, and the European Union, covering 57 countries (regions). The number of mutual recognition agreements signed, countries (regions) recognized, and implemented ranks first in the world. The mutual recognition of AEO between Mainland Customs and Hong Kong Customs was implemented on September 1, 2014, and with Macao Customs on June 1, 2023, and both have achieved automatic exchange of AEO enterprise information.