We are happy to announce that from august 2019 we are official approved as a AEO company.

AEO stands for Authorized Economic Operator. Different countries have different versions of this program. In the United States it's called the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT). Unless your company has signed up and been approved for CTPAT or you have participated in a foreign customs authority's AEO program.

The Origin of CTPAT

In response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon in 2001, the United States took steps to secure its global supply chain to ensure that the millions of shipping containers and other cargo that enter the U.S. each year don't include weapons of mass destruction. One of these steps was the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.

CTPAT is a voluntary program in which all participating entities in the import supply chain cooperate with CBP in establishing acceptable security practices in all phases of their operations. After reviewing existing security procedures and implementing enhanced security arrangements, CBP certifies companies as CTPAT members.

The advantages for companies of participating in CTPAT or one of the other AEO programs include:

Being considered low risk by customs authorities, which should result in fewer border delays due to examinations.
Faster access to the border and business resumption benefits in the event of border disruptions. This results in time savings, less risk of spoiled perishable goods, and a more predictable border experience overall.
Reduced risk of potential tampering to their shipments. This builds confidence with customs and border authorities and enhances a company’s reputation and marketability.

The Expansion of AEO

In 2005, the World Customs Organization (WCO) created the SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, which includes the Authorized Economic Operator Program (AEO).

As defined by the WCO, “the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) is a party involved in the international movement of goods in whatever function that has been approved by or on behalf of a national customs administration as complying with WCO or equivalent supply chain security standards.” Those standards relate to the following areas:

• Demonstrated compliance with customs requirements
• Satisfactory system for management of commercial records
• Financial viability
• Consultation, cooperation and communication
• Education, training and awareness
• Information exchange, access and confidentiality
• Cargo security
• Conveyance security
• Premises security
• Personnel security
• Trading partner security
• Crisis management and incident recovery
• Measurement, analysis and improvement

This partnership allows all the parties in a supply chain to be vetted and approved by the import country's customs authority. If an exporter has supply chain partners (carriers, forwarders, or anyone touching their freight) that have been pre-screened, the assumption is that it’s more likely to be a safe import, versus one where more/all of the parties are not pre-screened. Ultimately, it allows items deemed safe to enter into the country of import quicker.

AEO participants involved in global trade, including importers, exporters, shipping agents, customs brokers, and warehouse operators benefit from preferential treatment from customs authorities. Benefits include expedited clearance times, fewer examinations, improved security and communication between supply chain partners, and more.

Since 2017 H.Z. has grown from a European Transport company into International Freight Forwarder.   This license AEO-C and AEO-S we insure that we can handle all your cargo fast and reliable.