Authorized Economic Operators
The growth of global trade and the growing security threats to the international movement of goods have forced the customs authorities to change their focus from their traditional task of collecting customs duties to guaranteeing the facilitation of international trade and strengthening security. Recognizing this evolution, the World Customs Organization (WCO) has prepared a Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE). Several standards are included that can assist the customs authorities in meeting these new challenges. The development and implementation of an AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) program is an essential part of SAFE.
In this context, and in line with the measures to facilitate international trade, the Government of Mozambique passed Decree 34/2009, of July 6th, establishing the general framework for customs clearance and, in thus, introducing the entity of AEO. In 2012, it introduced specific AEO rules through Ministerial Order (Diploma Ministerial) 314/2012 of 23 November. In accordance with this Order, for an AEO (Blue Line) the stages that separate the moment of the goods’ entry into the customs territory and their clearance at the customs offices are automatically abolished, allowing the AEO to forward the cargo to their warehouses directly while continuing to be subject to random inspection for the purpose of control, whenever necessary.
Evidence from other countries that have implemented the AEO program has shown great benefits for the economic operator, for customs and for trade facilitation in general. Ensuring that Mozambique's implementation of an AEO system is in line with international standards is important, as is the monitoring and control of such entities. SPEED is working with customs to support the further development of the AEO system and the following presentations form part of that work.