The Registration and Filing Enterprise Credit Management Measures of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China [GACC, Order No. 251], developed and issued by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), establish a credit management system based on principles of convenience for honest, law-abiding enterprises, penalties for dishonesty and legal violations, and adherence to laws and regulations with fairness and transparency. The Measures clearly define the accreditation standards and management procedures for authorized economic operators (AEOs), integrating advanced concepts from the World Customs Organization's SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. It is clearly stipulated that the AEOs referred to in the framework are recognized by China Customs are entitled to preferential treatment and streamlined clearance procedures both in China and other countries (regions) with mutual recognition agreements.
The following management measures apply to AEOs:
(I) The average inspection rate for import and export goods will be less than 20 percent of
the
average inspection rate for enterprises under standard management, unless otherwise specified by
laws, administrative regulations, or specific GACC regulations;
(II) The average sampling rate for origin investigations of export goods will be below 20
percent of the average sampling rate for enterprises unless otherwise specified by laws,
administrative regulations, or specific GACC regulations;
(III) AEOs will receive priority in the customs clearance process and related business
procedures for import and export goods;
(IV) Priority registration recommendations will be made for AEOs exporting agricultural
products, food, and other items to other countries (regions);
(V) AEOs may apply for exemption from customs for guarantees;
(VI) The frequency of audits and verification for AEOs will be reduced;
(VII) AEOs may submit their declarations to customs before the export goods arrive at the
customs supervision zone;
(VIII) Customs will assign coordinators to assist AEOs;
(IX) AEOs will benefit from customs clearance facilitation measures in countries or regions
with
mutual recognition agreements;
(X) Joint incentive measures for trustworthy practices will be implemented by relevant state
departments;
(XI) AEOs will receive priority in customs clearance when international trade resumes after
interruptions due to force majeure events;
(XII) Other administrative measures stipulated by the GACC will also apply.
The Customs Standards for AEOs consists of general and specific standards for different types of
enterprises and their business scopes.
1. General standards
The general standards cover four key areas with 16 specific criteria: internal control,
financial status, compliance with laws and regulations, and trade security. (Attachment 2)
2. Specific standards
The specific standards apply to ten business areas: processing trade and bonded import and
export operations, health quarantine, animal and plant quarantine, food import and export,
commodity inspection, Customs brokerage, express delivery services, logistics and
transportation, cross-border e-commerce platform operations, and comprehensive foreign trade
services. (Attachment 3)
Accreditation results are categorized as 'Meets the Standard', 'Basically Meets the Standard',
'Does Not Meet the Standard', and 'Not Applicable'. Enterprises must meet the following three
conditions to be recognized by Customs as an AEO:
1. No instances of 'Does Not Meet the Standard' in any accreditation results;
2. A maximum of three 'Basically Meets the Standard' accreditation results in the general
standards;
3. A maximum of three 'Basically Meets the Standard' accreditation results in the specific
standards.
AEOs recognized by Customs are required to comply with the Registration and Filing Enterprise Credit Management Measures of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC, Order No. 251). Customs will conduct a review of AEOs every five years. If any irregularities are detected in an enterprise's credit status, customs may conduct additional reviews as needed. If, after a review, an enterprise is found to no longer meet AEO standards, customs will issue a notice of failure and revoke the enterprise's AEO certificate.
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1. Eligibility:
(1) The enterprise must be registered and filed at customs;
(2) At least one year has passed since the enterprise failed to pass AEO accreditation or
review;
(3) At least one year has passed since the credit rating of the AEO was downgraded by Customs;
(4) At least one year has passed since the enterprise withdrew from AEO management;
(5) At least one year has passed since the enterprise withdrew its application for AEO
accreditation;
(6) At least one year has passed since the credit rating of an enterprise found guilty of
dishonesty was upgraded by Customs.
As of July 30, 2024, China Customs had signed AEO mutual recognition agreements with 28 economies, covering 54 countries and regions, ranking first in the world with this sheer number. These mutual recognition arrangements expedite customs clearance and simplify trade processes for AEOs on both ends, contributing significantly to economic and trade cooperation between the nations involved.
When exporting goods to a country or region with a mutual recognition agreement, Chinese AEOs must provide their AEO code to the importer in that country or region. The importer is then responsible for completing the customs declaration in accordance with local Customs regulations. Once the identity of the Chinese AEOs has been verified, the customs authority in the importing country will apply the relevant facilitation measures.
1 .Customs Standards for AEO [GACC Announcement No. 106 (2022)]
2 .Registration and Filing Enterprise Credit Management Measures of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China [GACC, Order No. 251]
- 1 . How long does it take to obtain the results after submitting an application for accreditation?
- 2 . How does Customs classify credit ratings for enterprises?
- 3 . Does the accreditation certificate for AEOs have an expiration date?
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