Customs Issues New Standards for Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Certification

November 5, 2021
Detailed interpretation of GACC Announcement No. 88 of 2021, releasing the latest AEO standards, including general criteria and specific requirements for various logistics and trade enterprises.

Recently, the General Administration of Customs (GACC) issued Announcement No. 88 of 2021, officially releasing the "Advanced Certified Enterprise Standards," effective from November 1, 2021. Below are the key points of the announcement:

I. Implementation Background

To implement the "Administrative Measures of the Customs of the People's Republic of China on Enterprise Credit Management" (GACC Decree No. 251), GACC has revised the AEO standards. Previous announcements (No. 177 of 2018, No. 46 of 2019, etc.) have been abolished.

II. Standard Structure

The new AEO certification system uses a "General Standards + Specific Standards" model:

  1. General Standards: Applicable to all enterprises applying for advanced certification.
  2. Specific Standards: Tailored to different business types, including:
    • Import and export goods recipients/senders
    • Customs declaration enterprises
    • Foreign trade comprehensive service enterprises
    • Cross-border e-commerce platform enterprises
    • Express delivery operators
    • Water, road, and air logistics transport enterprises

III. Key Audit Dimensions

Customs focuses on the following criteria during the AEO audit:

  • Internal Control: Organizational structure, documentation management, and internal auditing.
  • Legal Compliance: Compliance records and tax payment history.
  • Financial Condition: Assets, liabilities, profitability, and the authenticity of financial statements.
  • Trade Security: Physical security (premises management), personnel security, business partner security, cargo and container security, and information security.

IV. Benefits for AEO Certified Enterprises

Advanced certified enterprises enjoy several advantages, including:

  • Lower inspection rates and priority in customs processing.
  • A dedicated customs coordinator system.
  • Customs clearance facilitation in countries and regions that have mutual recognition agreements with China.
  • Joint incentive measures implemented by relevant national departments.

Note: Enterprises should conduct a self-assessment based on their specific business type using the corresponding general and specific standards.

Tags:
CustomsAdvanced CertificationAEOCredit Management
Published on: November 5, 2021Category: industry
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