Authorized economic operator: world experience

Abstract

Introduction. The AEO has become the flag­ship program of the Customs-Business Partnership for WTO members. Business partnership programs allow customs authorities to achieve higher results in ensuring security and safety of international trade through incentives such as reduced controls, simplified procedures, periodic reporting, deferred payments, repu­tational benefits and others. Analysis of world expe­rience (namely the USA, the EU, China and other WTO countries) has shown the feasibility of implementing the AEO program, which allows authorized businesses to provide special simplify­cation for the movement of goods through internationallogistics chains.
Analysis of recent researches and publica­tions has shown that the published up to date papers aren’t systematic and can’t claim to be a complete analysis of the AEO program world experience and benefits for doing business in Ukraine.
The aim of the article is to analyze the worldand Ukrainian experience while implementing AEO program.
Methods. General scientific methods such as the systematic approach, theo­retical generalization and comparison, analysis and synthesis have been used for the research.
Results. The AEO program was launched in the EU in 2008, where today about 80% of export-import operations are carried out by companies with AEO status or individual authorizations for special simplifications. The total number of compa­nies with AEO status in the EU is over 24,275 at the end of 2021. AEO programs have already been implemented in 97 countries, another 20 countries are in the active stages of implementation. 87 bila­teral and 4 multilateral / regional MRAs on mutual recognitionhave been signed. 78 MRAs are under negotiation.
An unconditional positive is the launch of the AEO program in Ukraine, which is in line with leading European and world experience. The Ministry of Finance and the State Customs Service, with the support of the British Embassy, the Reform Support Office and the EU4PFM project, have developed and implemented the necessary legal framework to launch the AEO program in Ukraine.
The AEO program became important during the war between Ukraine and Russia. In this aspect, it is important to increase the number of companies with AEO status that have a certain type of simplification (AEO-C and / or AEO-B). This will speed up the customs clearance and passing goods of such companies to meet the needs of the Armed Forcesand the civil population of Ukraine.
Conclusions. Today there is a significant gap in informing business representatives, young professionals and practitioners, applicants for higher education in Ukraine about the specifics of meeting the requirements for AEO authorization, the tangible benefits of AEO status for both types of business in Ukraine and at the international level. Wider implementation of the AEO program in Ukraine, in addition to the tool of business partnerships, trade facilitation, strengthening security in the field of foreign economic activity, will also be one of the tools to de-shadow business.