U.S. and Korea Sign MRA on C-TPAT and AEO Mutual Recognition
U.S. Customs and Border Protection signed a mutual recognition arrangement with the Korean Customs Service on June 25, 2010 at the 115th/116th Session of the World Customs Organization Council in Brussels, Belgium.
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Agreement Reached on Mutual Standards for Korea’s AEO and U.S.’ C-TPAT
The arrangement aligns security standards in international trade partnership programs, also known as Authorized Economic Operator programs, critical to both countries. The Commissioner of the Korean Customs Service, Young sun Yoon, and CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin agreed to mutual standards in Korea’s AEO program and the U.S.’ Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program.
The arrangement recognizes compatibility between the Korean and U.S. cargo security programs and acknowledges that KCS and CBP will accept the security status of members of the other program. Additionally, it will allow for closer collaboration between agencies and greater benefits and common standards to the trade community.
With Korea, Now Five C-TPAT Mutual Recognition Arrangements
This marks the fifth mutual recognition arrangement signed by the U.S., with previous arrangements signed with New Zealand, Canada, Jordan and Japan.
(Mutual recognition is a key concept within the World Customs Organization’s SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, established with the input of the U.S. in 2005 in order to promote end-to-end supply chain security and facilitation at a global level. Similarly, the integration of border security and trade facilitation is an essential part of Commissioner Bersin’s vision for a layered risk management and risk segmentation strategy, which extends security beyond physical borders.)
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/12/10 news, 10031210, for BP summary announcing that CBP was working on reaching a MRA between C-TPAT and Korea’s AEO.)